Dead Race
by HIGH and MIGHTY COLOR
Summary: "Don't be silly. All the Saiyans were wiped out long ago! Now they're no more real than the monsters under your bed." Videl and her crew of misfit humans, discover a conspiracy out in space. There are still Saiyans left? What has Freeza been hiding? AU
1. Anger is a Short Madness

To call it an accident was wrong. The move had been calculated, and planned from the very beginning, though no one would know it. To the average spectator, it was nothing more than a very, very bad accident. The metal of the long transport convoy was a twisted fiery wreck, with dents and bumps along the previously unscarred surface. Several bodies of soldiers lay strewn across the road, and a few others were straggling to pick themselves up. It was a scene of pure chaos, but it had been planned nonetheless. All of the pieces had fallen into place, and now it was time for the show to begin. Metal began to shift and groan, and a loud pounding noise came from inside the caravan. With every pound a new welt appeared in the white metal, and the hinges of a door began to come loose. Several soldiers picked themselves up off the ground, pulling up their weapons and muttering amongst them selves in a panic.

"What happened…?"

"Someone stop it."

"It's going to get out."

Worried hushes spread throughout those left breathing, and a few of them backed up as a final pound echoed from inside the large metal container. All was silent for a few moments. And then there was a flash of light and the reinforced, twenty pound steel wall of the transport was sent flying into the air. All of the soldiers backed up, and finally, a figure emerged. It was dressed in all white, bound with heavy black restraints. His ankles were shackled together, his arms bolted across his waist, and even his mouth was bound in cloth and black belts. He jumped down from the side of the ruined metal caravan door, and landed in the mud, looking up at the soldiers who stared at him, awe struck. He was loose. And he was pissed.

Son Gohan had seen better days.

* * *

><p>"Saiyans?" Videl snorted, lifting a plate off the table, putting her other hand on her hips. "Are you still going on about that?" She turned around and walked back towards the sink, setting the metal dish in, and flicking on the water to let it run. "You really need to find a better use for your time."<p>

The group of people she sat with seemed to mutter in agreement but Videl knew better than to take their words for it. The Saiyan myth was after all, a very popular dinner story, but sometimes she worried that her friends and co-workers took it too far. She lifted a few of the plates off the table, and frowned. Of course she understood why they talked about it non-stop. It was a tantalizing story, and it hit home with them rather personally. However Videl was an educated young lady, and didn't really like to engage in myths and legends. The Saiyans were a dead race. That was that. So what if they were one of the most powerful races to have ever roamed free space? So what if legend had it that it would only take one of them to wipe out the species of an entire planet? Who cared? They were gone, and there was no reason to keep talking on about them.

"I'm just saying." One of her co-workers, a man with long black hair and heavy scars on his face spoke up, leaning forward. "That if there were some Saiyans left alive, that it would make a whole lot more sense of this situation."

"No, Yamucha, it wouldn't." Videl said. " It would raise a whole lot more questions, like why are they still alive, how are they still alive, and who knew about it?"

"Videl, come on, you're missing the point."

""I don't think she is." One of her shorter companions, man with a head full of messy black hair with small beady eyes spun a bottle on its side. "I think you are."

"See? Kuririn understands." Videl said, shaking her head.

"Tienshinhan, come on, you get what I'm saying, right?" Yamucha said, reaching forward towards the tall three-eyed man, sitting quietly against his chair. He grunted a bit and turned his head. Yamucha sighed and folded his arms over the table. "Well I think it makes sense."

"Well." One of the last two of their gang said, looking at his nails. "I understand how tantalizing it is, for you to think that it was Saiyans who abducted your girlfriend, but you really need to let it go."

"Oh shut up, 17." Yamucha turned his head, leaning into his arm.

17 laughed, leaning back on his chair, and tapping a finger on his chair. His twin sister walked over, and leaned over, resting her arms down over Kuririn's head, who didn't object, and simply kept spinning his bottle. "18, you agree with me, don't you?"

"Saiyans are myths and legends." She said, sighing into Kuririn's hair.

Videl sighed and shook her head. "Yamucha, we all miss Bulma and Chi-Chi, but it's not going to help anyone by fantasizing about dead races." She walked over and put a hand on Yamucha's shoulder. "We'll find them both, I promise."

Yamucha sighed and shook his head, before standing up. "Come on, Mr. Pilot. Let's go see if we can get this hunk of junk back on course."

Kuririn sighed and stood up, stretching his arms over his head. "Alright, alright. I'm coming." He turned around and 18 placed a kiss on top his forehead before sitting down in his seat, lazily spinning the bottle he left behind. The two men left the room and Videl sighed, leaning on the wall. It had been nine years, since they had lost Bulma and Chi-Chi. The eight oft hem had all set out from earth about eleven years ago, on a transport ship. Videl had only been six at the time, but she had refused to be left alone while the only guardians she had shipped off into space without her. They all had taken up work doing whatever they could, but they found they mostly took up the roles of couriers, which suited Videl just fine.

Being earthlings meant they were mostly responsible for taking up odd jobs, and doing the work that no one else wanted to do. It was the entire basis of their economy, after all. When the alien alliance who had found their planet, they had declared it a ball of mud with no value. And in typical earth fashion, before the planet was destroyed for good, someone said: "Hey. We're a mud ball planet with no value. Let's make money off that"

And so they did. Earth became a neutral planet, a place for commerce and overlords and owners of planets to meet up and do business, sign treaties, and do other dirty business they could do nowhere else. A lot of Earthlings set out for space, to make a living and help their friends and family back home. Videl and the others had been some of them. The planet they were headed for was a low class, worthless little place in the boondocks of the galaxy. But that seemed to be where the best business was. They were the places that needed supplies the most, and a certain sense of dignity and heroics drew Yamucha and the others to places that would appreciate it the most. Which again, suited Videl just fine. She sighed as she looked up at the data screen, which told them their estimated arrival, and looked back and forth between her companions.

Her thoughts turned to the idea of Saiyans. They had been some of the most feared and powerful creatures in the universe before one of the many Galactic rulers had destroyed them for good. Freeza was one of the better-known rulers, and was mostly avoided by any other sections. Of course, being from Earth and being a neutral planet and ship meant they were often roped into doing work for some of Freeza's men, as well as anyone else who paid them. Saiyans were perpetrated as the scourge of the galaxy. Mindless beasts that only sought destruction and violence, and took no greater pleasure than in ending a life. Still you'd have to be a moron to believe everything you hear from that propaganda. However the fact remained that there was no one to counter such statements and no one knew anything about the long dead Saiyan race. They were destroyed long before Videl was born, about a decade earlier actually, and so as a child they had occupied her thoughts quite often, as imaginary monsters were wont to do.

Videl sat up, as she felt the strange lurching motion of the ship landing. 18 stood up, smiling and leaning on her brother's chair. "Finally, on a planet. I've been going stir crazy in here. It will be nice to get out and have an open sky above us for once."

"That's assuming the air is even breathable here." 17 said, looking up at her.

"It is." Tienshinhan stood up, looked down at the two. "Now hurry up and unload. We've got a drop to make."

"Yeah, yeah, we know." The twins left the room and Videl grabbed her jacket off the wall.

"You're coming this time, Videl?"

"Yup." Videl said, sliding her jacket over her arms. "Gonna see if there's a town and see if I can't find any more supplies. We're going to need to restock soon anyhow, and so I want to see if there are any unique things here for us to try."

"Alright, don't wander off too far, and be careful."

Videl nodded and ran down the stairs towards the cargo bay. A large pair of bay doors had been opened and 17 and 18 were both unloading large heavy crates off the ship. The two were androids and by far the strongest of the group, and were mostly there for grunt work. The more delicate operations were left to the rest of the group. Videl sidestepped the two; backing up down the ramp onto the dusty surface of the new planet they found herself on. She smiled and shaded her face, lifting her head skywards. It definitely felt good to be outside again.

"Careful, Vi-Vi." 17 said, walking past her, a huge crate on one shoulder. "I hear there are more than a few feds on this planet right now. Something went south earlier, so try not to get arrested."

"Oh right, it's _me_ you've got to worry about getting arrested. You two could look at something funny and somehow end up doing something illegal."

"That hurts." The black haired boy shook his head.

Videl smiled and waved. "I'm going into town! Don't leave without me!" With those words she skipped off, before taking off into the air, flying at full speed through the air. It felt good to be flying again, without the bulk of a ship around her. There were fewer joys that Videl felt that could compare to that of having the wind in her hair and the sky at her beck and call. She looked down at the town below her and frowned at the sight. Just as 17 had said, the place was crawling with feds. Soldiers of all types were swarming through the streets as Videl landed precariously among some other civilians. She looked back and forth between them all, and turned to one elderly old woman with purple skin and long ears.

"What's going on?"

"Oh, it's quite dreadful, my dear." The woman said, frowning. "A federal ship, one of Freeza's we think, crash landed here. Apparently a convict got loose. You ought to be careful."

Videl smiled at the woman kindly. "I will, don't you worry about me." She eyed the feds a bit warily and made her way through the crowd. The shops all appeared to be open, though most of the citizens were all out in the streets. Videl spotted one particular shop; a clothes shop and she thought it over. She really shouldn't spend money on clothes-even though some new gloves would come in handy since she had worn out her last three on Tienshinhan's punching bag- but there was no harm in looking was there? She decided there was not, and made her way into the store.

The door creaked open; tapping a bell hanging overhead and Videl stepped into the musty old store, that was only illuminated by the light coming in through the windows. She looked around and noticed that the place was deserted. Videl coughed and waved in front of her face to try to clear some of the air of the dust that filled the place and Videl had to wonder how long it had been since the owners of the store had been introduced to a broom.

"Hello?" She called, maneuvering her way through the tables full of dusty rags and headscarves. There were bracelets made of rope, and skirts with small metal coins sewn into them that shimmered and knocked against one another in the wind, making a chiming noise. One word to describe it was quaint. Videl loved it. "Hello?" She called again, looking around the room. "Is anyone here?"

There was a soft grunt that came from deeper within the store and Videl turned towards the source of the noise. It was coming from behind a curtain, towards the back, in what Videl could only assume to be a dressing room of some sort. She frowned and made her way towards it. "Hello?" She tried one more time as she approached the curtain. "I'm sorry, are you closed? The door was open…" Videl pulled the curtain back and her words died in her mouth.

Inside was a boy, who couldn't have been any older than her. He was dressed in a white jacket, with thick black belts looped around it, which hung loosely across his chest. Heavy, very heavy, black restraints lined the floor around him, and the boy's hands and feet were both shackled together, held together with a long chain. The aforementioned restraints had actually broken through the floor around him, and he was prying the belts loose that held the fabric of his collar around his mouth. Videl could only stare at him, shocked. In an instant, he realized her presence. Videl gasped and lurched back, preparing to scream, but before she could properly defend herself, he was on top of her. He knocked her to the floor, and pinned her there, one of his shackled hands clamped tightly over her mouth, and the other pinning one of her wrists to the floor.

He was glaring at her, and Videl panicked, struggling underneath him. However he was strong. Very strong. She couldn't move an inch. He just stared down at her, analyzing her with black eyes. Videl wasn't able to look away from those eyes, until something flickering behind the boy caught her eye. She looked up past him and noticed just what was flickering back and forth. A tail. A long brown, and furry tail. Videl's eyes went wide and she felt herself shaking beneath his grip. Black eyes, black hair and a long tail, like a monkey's. No, no it wasn't possible. They didn't exist. They were all dead. There was no way there could be a Saiyan sitting on top of her!

They boy stared at her for what felt like an eternity. And then, finally, after what could have been a lifetime, he lifted his head and looked towards the door, looking anxious. He jumped up, off of Videl, and turned around, bolting towards the back room of the store. Videl gasped for breath and lay on the floor staring up at the ceiling. She was unable to move for the longest time, and kept heaving deep breaths. She was only vaguely aware of a few officers picking her up off the ground and shaking her shoulders asking desperately which way he had gone. She looked up vaguely, and pointed towards the back room. Instantly half the officers were gone, and Videl was left with a few more, who were helping her up. They took her outside of the shop and sat her down on the stairs, and Videl was still hardly paying attention to what was happening. It wasn't until there was an officer staring her in the face that she came back to reality.

"Miss? Did you hear me?" The man asked, leaning in closer in front of her. "What did you see of him? Tell me how much you saw."

Videl stared at him, for a long while before answering very slowly. "His face." She whispered. "All I saw was his face."

The officer looked suspiciously relieved, and patted her shoulder. "Alright, good." He said, standing up. "Well don't worry, you're safe now."

But somehow, that didn't make Videl feel better at all.

* * *

><p>"Videl? Are you okay?"<p>

Videl looked up from the pillow she had buried her face in, in her bunk and turned away, nodding slowly. Yamucha stepped in, any way and sat on the bed next to her, putting a hand on her back. She lowered her head back into the pillow as he patted her back a little bit.

"Must have been scary, huh?" He asked, sighing looking away. "I'm sorry, Videl. Someone should have gone with you." He whispered, looking over at her, and Videl took a deep breath through the pillow. "And before you give me the speech, I already know you can take care of yourself." He started, smiling a little. "I just think it would be a good idea if from now one someone goes with you, just in case something like this happens again-"

"He was a Saiyan."

"I know you- … What?" Yamucha's voice was quiet, suddenly.

"That boy who attacked me. He was a Saiyan."

It was quiet for a long time before Yamucha spoke up again. "He wasn't a Saiyan, Videl."

"He was!" Videl sat up, rocking back onto her knees. "He had black hair, black eyes-"

"So? I have black hair and-"

"He had a tail!" Videl said, dropping her arms exasperatedly. "A long brown tail, like a monkey's. Just like a Saiyan!"

"You were seeing things, Vi. You were probably under a lot of stress, and your mind just made things up."

"No, I'm telling you, he was Saiyan! When they found me, this guard asked me how much of him I saw. He wanted to know if I had seen his tail, or not. And I did. That boy is a Saiyan, Yamucha. I know what I saw!"

Yamucha was quiet again, and Videl sighed, letting her arms drop again.

"You don't believe me."

"No, I do."

"What?"

"You're sure, right?" Yamucha leaned in a little bit. "You're sure you saw what you saw?"

"I'm absolutely sure, Yamucha. He was a Saiyan."

Yamucha grinned and sat back. "So the feds are keeping Saiyans they don't want the public to know about? That's really interesting, Vi."

"I assume we'll be snooping?"

"Oh yeah."

* * *

><p>"I'm sorry…" Zarbon hissed, through clenched teeth, his fists curled dangerously and his hair practically bristling at the words. He held up a hand, pinching his pointer finger and thumb together as if the very act would help him enunciate clearer. "What exactly do you mean… escaped?"<p>

The scaly alien in front of him tense, and gulped rather visibly, and it made Zarbon tense even more. He didn't like the looks of this. "Sir… I mean to say that… Subject SG002 has… well… broken free."

"Broken free?" Zarbon said, his teeth still clenched unbelievably tight. "Tell me, how does one 'break free' from a ten ton, reinforced steel prison surrounded by our best battalion of guards? Tell me that, because, honestly, I'm curious."

"Well sir, there was a… um… there was an accident."

"Well I would hope so, because if you let him out on purpose your death would not only be violent, it would be slow and bloody, now why don't you skip through all this nonsense and tell me what the hell happened!"

"Another ship sir, it crashed into ours. We were forced to land on one of Lord Freeza's planets, and it was then that it… escaped."

Zarbon growled, and turned around, beginning to pace back and forth angrily. "Do you have any idea what this means? If we don't find him, it will not only be the loss of million of Zeni and over two cycles of research, we'll have to torch the whole damn planet, just to ensure he isn't found by anyone else! Do you know how much this is going to cost, commander? Do you have ANY idea what this has done?"

"Sir, please…" The alien officer pleaded, shamelessly. "We still have SG001 and SG003, not to mention the other two!"

Zarbon halted in his tracks and turned to look at the officer who was cowering before him. He took a step down off the platform he stood on and walked up to him. "… I am going to make this simple, commander." He said, in a quiet and dangerous tone. "I am going to make this so simple that even you can understand why THAT logic is more flawed than your ugly skin." He took one step closer to him, and grabbed the officer's arm and yanked it clear off at the shoulder.

A howl of pain was released from the alien as he grabbed at the stub, and purple blood leaked from the wound. Zarbon stared down at him mercilessly and held the arm in his hand in front of the alien, almost tauntingly. As soon as the cries of pain came to a halt, Zarbon opened his mouth to speak again.

"It's not so bad, commander. After all, you've still got your other arm and both your legs. That makes this…" He said holding up the appendage. "Unimportant, doesn't it?"

"I… I understand, sir…"

"Do you? Good." Zarbon crushed the arm in his hands, and dropped the mangled appendage to the floor. He turned around and climbed the steps.

"Sir?"

"I'm going to report to Lord Freeza." Zarbon said, looking down over his shoulder. "I'll leave your fate to him. If you're very lucky, perhaps you'll be spared. You are just the messenger after all." He turned and climbed the stairs again, clenching his fists. If he was lucky he too would be spared. While he didn't exactly believe in killing the messenger it didn't mean Freeza didn't. He was bound to be punished for such bad news, even though it had nothing to do with him. He'd have to take responsibility anyways. Lord Freeza wasn't very forgiving of people who tried to shift blame, and even if it wasn't in his sector, he'd still have to find someway to accept responsibility. Otherwise Freeza would do it for him. Zarbon climbed the steps quickly to the look out tower, and knocked on the door quietly. "Lord Freeza? It's Zarbon. I have grave news."

"Come in, Zarbon."

Zarbon took a deep breath and entered the room quietly, bowing as he did. "I have news from the convoy that was transporting subject SG002."

"Grave news." Freeza repeated, eying him from his chair. Zarbon did not rise from his bow.

"I'm afraid so. The ship was struck, and the subject has… escaped."

"Escaped?"

"Yes, Lord Freeza. We're searching for him now, though so far our efforts are in vain." Zarbon took a deep breath. "I will personally take responsibility, Lord Freeza. I should have been the one to oversee the caravan."

"Noble, but unnecessary." Freeza said, lazily. "Bring me the ones responsible for this. They will pay. And Zarbon, I am putting you in charge of finding him. If you cannot find him within twenty-four hours… then burn him out. Destroy the planet. I don't care if you bring him back dead, mangled and bloated from space, just bring him back."

"Yes, Lord Freeza. I will leave immediately."

"And Zarbon… If you do fail, I will have you take responsibility."

"He will either be dead or in your custody by tomorrow, Lord Freeza."

"Good to hear it." Freeza turned back to the window and Zarbon took a deep breath, before standing and turning to leave. If he could give proof that the boy was dead, that would be good enough for Freeza. A corpse wouldn't even be necessary, and he saw no point and searching for him. The boy was crafty and would not be found within twenty-four hours. The planet had to go. And that was that.


	2. Peace Follows Decisions, Even Wrong Ones

The goal was an apple.

Trunks and Goten stood against the wall, on their tiptoes to peer out the small barred window. Both boys were waiting for the absolute opportune moment when a pair of feet would pass by, bearing the fruit they so desired. Trunks looked over at Goten and nudged him a bit, jostling the chains wrapped around their wrists. The two were bound at the wrists and the ankles, and wore grungy brown clothes. There was dirt on their face, and their hair was matted and as dirty as the rest of them. Goten sat up and looked over at Trunks before nodding and looking back at the window.

Finally the pair of feet passed by and Trunks and Goten both stuck their hands out and grabbed the ankles. Instantly, the man toppled, spilling the basket of apples across the floor. The two ten year olds were quick to snatch the fruit up, pulling it through the bars. They could barely hear the swears and yells the man yelled as the two retreated back into the darkness of their room.

"We're getting better at this." Goten said, sitting down on the floor, against the sleek grey wall. He set his loot down, and picked up an apple, slowly munching on it. Trunks sat down beside him and picked up his own and slowly brought it to his mouth, murmuring his agreement. Goten crawled over to his companion, sensing something was wrong. "What's the matter, Trunks?"

"I still sort of hurt, from today."

"Want to play a game?" Goten tilted his head. "Playing games always makes us feel better."

"What game should we play?"

"We could play the thunder game."

"No we can't." Trunks bit down on his apple. "It's not storming."

"We could make our own thunder." Goten said, rocking back onto his shackled heels. "Come on, Trunks. It always makes you feel better."

"The thunder game makes me feel better when it's storming. I don't like the noises." Trunks looked up. Goten frowned and then jumped up, and ran to the center of the room. Trunks followed him with his eyes, and leaned back, still munching on his apple. Goten cleared his throat and then clapped his hands in front of his mouth.

"Boom!"

Trunks blinked and tilted his head. "What are you doing?"

"Being the thunder! Come on, Trunks you have to count. And then you can guess if the storm is getting closer or further away."

"That's a dumb game, Goten. I'll know after two tries."

Goten frowned. "Nah uh! I think it's a good game. You have to guess if I'm getting closer or further away, now count!" He clapped his hands in front of his mouth again. "Boom!"

Trunks sighed. "One, two, three, four, five, six…"

"Boom!" Goten clapped again.

Trunks shook his head, and folded his hands over his knees. "One, two, three, four, five, six…"

"Boom!"

Trunks blinked this time and looked up. "Goten, you dummy! That's the same number I got to last time!"

"I told you it was a tricky game."

Trunks groaned and shook his head. "One, two, three, four, five, six, seven…"

"Boom!"

"Alright, it's moving away."

"That was one second Trunks, keep counting."

"One, two, three, four…"

"Boom!"

"What the? Goten! You can't do that!"

"I'm a storm, I can do whatever I want."

Trunks got up. "Oh yeah? Well now I'm an even bigger storm! And I'm going to zap you with my lightning."

"Not if I blow you away with my thunder, first."

"You can't blow someone away with thunder, it's just a noise."

"You're not fun." Goten said, sticking his tongue out.

Both boys burst out laughing after a brief period of silence. The two sat back on the floor and stared at each other before going back to the apples they left on the floor. The two ate in silence, after that. There wasn't much more to say. Until the door opened, that was. Trunks and Goten looked up and smiles appeared on their faces as the two familiar forms entered the room. Goten leapt up off the floor, and ran over.

"Dad!" He jumped up, grabbing onto the man's arms as he was lifted into the air. Goku smiled, and lifted his son up above his head.

"Goten, hi! Oh, look, you got some fruit!" He said, setting Goten down on his shoulder. "Way to go!"

Trunks stood up a bit more slowly and walked over to the other man in the room, his father. He held up an apple, and looked up a smile on his face. "Here, papa. We got a bunch of them today."

Vegeta looked down at Trunks for a few moments before taking the apple in one hand and ruffling Trunks' hair with the other. "Well done." He put a hand on the back of Trunks' head and led him back into the room, before sitting down. Trunks sat next to him as Goku and Goten took their seats as well.

"What was today like, dad? You don't look hurt."

"I'm not." Goku said, setting Goten down on the floor and picking up an apple. "I think Freeza is getting softer on us, Vegeta."

"Whatever." Vegeta snorted, leaning back to the wall. "If he thinks this is all it will take to break us, he's got another thing coming."

Goku smiled and took a bite of the fruit. "Sometimes he's hard to figure out. I can't quite place what he wants from us."

"For the love of all that is holy, Kakarot, not this again." Vegeta rolled his eyes. "As Saiyans we have limitless potential, I've told you this before. Your stupidity knows no bounds."

"So what's he want with that potential? And I've told you a million times to call me Goku."

"That's an Earth name, you're a Saiyan."

"I was raised on Earth, you know."

"Whatever, Kakarot." Vegeta swallowed the rest of the apple whole, and wiped his mouth. "What he wants with the potential is obvious, isn't it? To break us. Make us into weapons, and our children into assassins."

"Assassins?" Goten looked up from his apple. "Cool."

"No, Goten." Goku shook his head. "Not, cool. That's bad."

Trunks remained silent, trying to mimic his father and shove the rest of the apple down his throat, but so far was only succeeding in strangling himself. Vegeta sighed and yanked the fruit out of the boy's hands and snapped it in half before handing it back and looking back at the other man in the room.

"By the way, your eldest has been gone a while."

"Gohan..? Yeah… I wonder what's going on?" Goku said, tossing the core over his shoulder. "I hope he's not hurt."

"You're not worried?"

"About Gohan? No. He's strong, and probably the smartest one here." Goku said, ruffling Goten's hair. "He'll take care of himself."

Vegeta snorted and leaned back as his son finished off his apple and leaned on his side. He didn't object and simply folded an arm behind his head, careful not to choke himself with his own restraints. "… And your wife?"

Goku looked down. "I don't know. I hope she's okay." He shook his head. "If that other woman, is with her, then…"

"Bulma."

"Right. If Bulma is with her, I think she'll be alright, but…"

Trunks looked up at his father, and Goten and he exchanged glances. Whenever the subject of their mothers came up, the atmosphere in the room got very quiet. Goten stood up, and cleared his throat.

"Trunks and I made up a knew game today."

"Really?" Goku looked over. "What is it?"

"It's a thunder game. I make the thunder and Trunks has to guess if the storm gets closer or further away."

"Why don't you show us, Goten?"

Trunks sat up. "I think it's a dumb game. Goten cheats."

"The storm is allowed to cheat. No one tells the weather what to do."

"He has a point." Goku looked over at Vegeta and Trunks. Vegeta scoffed and turned his head while Trunks gave a face that showed he clearly thought this to be a valid point. And then, no more words passed between them, and the game began.

* * *

><p>Gohan slipped behind a rock as another battalion of soldiers swept through the place. As happy as he was to have broken free from that thing, he was on a small desert planet with nowhere to go. His tail flickered behind him and he folded his arms, lowering his head to think. The chains around his arms and legs had been nearly impossible to remove, and were more in the way than anything else. Gohan had managed to break the chain that connected the cuffs on his wrists and ankles, but now that somehow seemed to make them louder, as they could now hang and knock against the other metal, making loud clanging noises. He turned around, leaning against the rocks and peering around, trying to get a good look at the army that swarmed the planet he had crashed on. He wasn't sure why the convoy had crashed, but it had been a godsend. It had given him everything he needed to escape, and Gohan wasn't one to allow opportunities to pass him by. He removed himself from the rock and took off running again. He would have to find a way off the planet soon.<p>

Knowing Freeza, if he wasn't found soon, the whole place would go up in flames. He could either lead the soldiers away from the planet and spare countless of innocents, or he could slip away unnoticed and let them think he was dead. Son Gohan was not that kind of guy. He would find a way to save these people and escape at the same time. And while that was going to be the single most difficult thing he'd ever done, he was going to manage somehow. He probably didn't have much time. No one in Freeza's army had ever been one for patience.

His thoughts suddenly turned to the girl from earlier. The one who had found him in that clothes shop. He wasn't sure why, but the absolute terror in her eyes had gotten to him. Though it could have been because behind the terror there was some sort of genuine curiosity, and it made him feel uneasy. Then again, he had tackled her and pinned her to the floor. He had to imagine that that had made her feel more uneasy than he had.

Gohan tucked his tail around his waist and slipped through an alleyway, sticking as close to the walls as he could. He was closer to the shipyard now, and from there it would just be the insanely difficult matter of stealing one. Gohan was not by any means a guy who got along with technology. He was a genius, to be sure, but this sort of stuff had always eluded him. Though that might have had something to do with spending the first five years of his life in the mountains of Earth, and spending the next ten in Freeza's dungeon.

That had inhibited progress a bit. Gohan sighed and leaned up against the wall of the alley he was hiding in. The only solution he could see that didn't involve more people dying was him turning himself in. But the pure adrenaline and hatred that coursed through him made him decide against that decision before it could even cross his mind properly. He was not going back there, and there was no way anyone was going to make him. He peered around the wall, to the shipyard and frowned at the abundance of mechanical giants.

He closed his eyes and shook his head and began edging his way towards the ships. He noticed a particularly grungy one parked more than a few feet away from where he was standing and looked it up and down. There was something familiar about it. Something he couldn't quite place.

What he could place, however, was one of the people who were stepping out of it. It was her. The girl from earlier. Gohan frowned and leaned back into the alleyway, and lowered his breathing as much as it would go. She was talking to another man with dark hair and scars on her face.

"Even if we do find him, then what?"

"Then… Well…" The girl put her hands on her hips. "We question him."

"About?"

"Everything, now come on." She said, turning to her companion. "Do you want to find him or not?"

Were they talking about him? Gohan's mind was racing, and for once in his life he was genuinely not sure what to do. He hadn't been expecting MORE people to go looking for him. Especially not someone he had more or less attacked before. It was a problem and it was a problem he was not equipped to deal with at the moment.

He shook his head and was about to think through his next move when a force that felt like a semi truck struck him from behind. It sent him flying forwards, into the shipyard where he crashed into the dirt, under the ship that the girl was standing on. He gasped and pushed himself up, as all eyes were now on him. But that wasn't what he was concerned with. He wanted to know what had hit him. He jumped up, just in time to see a second blast of Ki coming towards him, speeding forwards like a rocket. He raised his hand and swatted it away, like it was nothing. It careened off course and smashed into the ground, exploding on impact.

"Well, well, well." A familiar voice drawled. "You know, I honestly wasn't expecting to find you. I was just going to destroy the planet, but I thought a cursory glance was in order, and lo and behold, there you were!"

Gohan growled as the figure came into view. "Zarbon!"

"Hello, little monkey. We've missed you back home." The tall green alien said, extending a hand. "Won't you come back with me? Lord Freeza is terribly worried about you."

"I'm sure he is." Gohan snarled, backing up a few paces. If Zarbon was here, it could only mean an army was close behind. An army meant only to haul him back.

"Your family misses you as well, you wouldn't leave them, would you?"

"I'll be back for them as soon as possible, don't worry about that, Zarbon." Gohan eyed his surroundings. The girl from earlier was staring at him, and others had joined her. He looked up quickly at the ship, and suddenly it was all too apparent why it was so familiar. It was an Earth design. It was an Earth ship. A light bulb clicked on in Gohan's mind, and he tuned out all of Zarbon's irrelevant ramblings. With inhuman speed, he rushed towards the side, towards the girl. He leapt up into the air, and landed behind her, before spinning around and grabbing her, wrapping a hand around her neck.

There was absolute silence all of the sudden. Zarbon stared at him for a few minutes before bursting out laughing. "Hostage taking? Oh please, SG002. Since when have we cared about hostages?"

Gohan gritted his teeth and leaned forwards, whispering to the girl he held onto. "Please forgive me… I promise you'll make it out of here safely." He looked back up at Zarbon. "You'll care about this one!" He yelled.

"Why is that?"

"She's a human, that's why?"

"So?"

"Don't be dense, Zarbon." Gohan sneered. He could hear the other people she was with tensing, as if they were preparing to attack him. The girl was just standing there, completely shell shocked. "If you attack an Earth ship all the federations that use it as a neutral planets will see it as an act of sabotage against them. I'm sure Freeza would be delighted for all that paper work. So if you're ready to take responsibility for that, then go ahead and shoot."

Zarbon could only stare at him for a while and Gohan was suddenly sure he had won. Zarbon was not going to attack, but then again, the humans behind him did seem to be gearing up for a battle. He was going to have to end this quickly. He leaned down and whispered to the girl he held onto again.

"… Please help me." He pleaded. "I'll tell you whatever you want to know. Just please help me." He felt her tense under him, and he silently prayed she wouldn't just start screaming again. Still that didn't seem likely. Finally she spoke up.

"Back up, onto the ship then."

Gohan smiled and nodded. "Thank you." He slowly began to back up, walking her with him. The others slowly followed him up onto the ship, and to his relief, Zarbon and the rest of the guards on the planet remained where they were. He sighed his relief and the girl spoke up again.

"Yamucha, close the doors… Kuririn start up the ship and take off."

Both men ran forwards to do as they were told, and Gohan loosened his grip a bit, and as soon as the doors were closed, he released her entirely. And as soon as he did, a fist harder than metal collided with his face between his eyes, and sent Gohan spiraling backwards into unconsciousness.


	3. Love All, Trust a Few, Do Wrong to None

The only thing Bulma was truly grateful for was that at least she got to keep her cigarettes. Freeza had taken the man she loved, her only son and was doing god knows what to them, while she shared a room with Chi-Chi which could get annoying sometimes, but at least she had nicotine. Nope, that didn't sound convincing no matter how many times she said it. Bulma sighed and exhaled, a large cloud of smoke passing from her lips. Chi-Chi was sitting on one of the beds in their room, and knitting something or other.

Bulma stamped the cigarette out and walked back to her friend and folded her arms. "What are you making?"

"It's nothing." Chi-Chi sighed. "I'm just knitting so my hands will have something to do other than strangle the next person who walks through the door."

"Then by all means, Chi. Put the knitting down."

Chi-Chi shook her head, falling backwards onto the bed. "I wonder how Goten and Gohan are doing… Goku too."

"They said they'd let us see them again, but…" Bulma sat down. "I'm honestly surprised they haven't killed us yet." She said, eyeing the destroyed cigarette.

"They could try."

"Yes, well." Bulma said, flicking the remains of her addiction into the garbage bin. "I suppose you have a point. After all, we're very dangerous and powerful people." She joked.

"Well," Chi-Chi sighed, sitting back up. "We are the mothers, and wives of very powerful people."

"You're the wife." Bulma said, looking back. "Vegeta and I never really had an opportunity to marry."

"Hasn't he asked you?"

"You're kidding, right?" Bulma looked over at her. "Besides, even if he had, who would marry us? That pink thing?"

"The spikey one? Oh, yes, I can see that now." Chi-Chi set down her knitting and cleared her throat. "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to unite Vegeta and Bulma. May they forever give us more little Saiyans to torment and corrupt."

Bulma grabbed a pillow and smacked Chi-Chi over the head with it as hard as she could. "That is NOT funny, Chi!" She said. Still she was laughing despite herself.

"It is strange, though." Chi-Chi said, picking the knitting up. "You didn't even believe me when I told you Saiyans existed. Let alone that I was married to one."

"Well, you have to understand where I was coming from. I mean, you just showed up one day to our ship, and asked if we could help find your husband." Bulma eyed her packet of cigarettes again, and leaned back onto her hands. "And then, one day, you hopped into a shuttle, and told me you were going to Freeza's base, to save your husband and child the Saiyans. For all we knew you were a head case."

"I wonder if the rest of your crew is looking for us." Chi-Chi smiled fondly.

"Of course they are. However, we didn't tell them we'd gone looking for Saiyans who you were married to. So they wouldn't have the first clue where to look." Bulma shook her head. "You know, Chi. If you had told me that day I'd end up being kept by Freeza with a child and in love with the Prince of all Saiyans I'd have kicked you into the shuttle and sent you off on your own."

"Aren't you glad I didn't?"

"I hate you sometimes." Bulma smiled jokingly. "Say, does make me a princess?" She asked, looking up at the ceiling.

"Not till your married it doesn't."

"Well, then I guess I'll ask Mr. Pink Spikes to wed us."

Chi-Chi cleared her throat. "Do you, Bulma Briefs take Vegeta to love and honor and hold, till death do you part? Which might come sooner rather than later?"

Bulma laughed, collapsing back onto the bed. "I do."

"And do you, Vegeta, prince of the Saiyans, take Bulma Briefs to love, honor and hold till death do you part?" Chi-Chi then grabbed a pillow and held it over her head, to symbolize Vegeta's hair, and twisted her face into a scowl. She grunted once, and tossed the pillow away and folded her fingers again. "Then I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride."

Bulma picked up the pillow and landed a kiss on top of it, between laughing hysterically. Chi-Chi caught her hysterics a bit, and the two women sat in their room, laughing uncontrollably. It had been an odd set of circumstances that had brought them together, but the two had become fast friends in the years they'd spent together. Even if they were absolutely miserable.

* * *

><p>Gohan was in massive amounts of pain. He felt like his entire face was broken, and his back was killing him. He shook his head a little bit, trying very hard to regain his motor functions and a basic thought process going again. He remembered going onto the Earth ship, and he remembered Zarbon, but other than that, everything was a bit hazy. He had been hit by something, he was sure of that. Part of him was wondering if they had simply turned him back over to Zarbon when he had passed out, but he instantly ruled that out. He wasn't in enough pain, and he could move more than he would be able to if he was back with Freeza. He could taste blood, quite a bit of it, in fact.<p>

He stuck his tongue out and licked some of the copious amounts off his chin and lips. His nose was bleeding. Well that was to be expected, at least, he had taken quite a hit. Gohan twisted about and noticed his hands were secured to something above his head. He opened his eyes finally and looked around. He was handcuffed to a pole in what looked like the dining room of the ship. They had simply bolted the chains from the cuffs that were already there to the pole, and Gohan could hardly fault them for it. After all, he hadn't made a very good first impression. He pulled himself upwards, so he was sitting up under the pole that held his hands, and looked about the room. It wasn't empty, for starters. The entire crew appeared to be there, but no one was looking at him. They were all arguing amongst themselves.

"Do you realize what this has done?"

"Yes, I do!"

"Well good, so when Freeza shoots us down and kills us all, at least we'll know why!" A boy with black hair and an orange scarf was speaking, and Gohan instantly recognized him as the one who had punched his lights out.

"Calm down, 17." The only other girl, a blonde woman this time, spoke up. "We have plenty of time to figure out what to do before that happens."

"I agree with 17." A bald man, with three eyes folded his arms. "This is a lot more trouble than we needed to pick up there. We have to get rid of it."

Gohan bristled at being called an 'it'. That was what Freeza and his men called him. And it pissed him off, royally. He shook his head and decided to cut this conversation off before they decided his fate without him getting any say in it. "Excuse me?" He ventured. Being rude at this stage wouldn't be the best choice.

All heads turned towards him, and he adjusted himself where he was sitting on the floor. He was suddenly at a loss for what to say, which didn't happen often. Luckily, he didn't have to. The crew stepped forwards, surrounding him. It made him feel small and uncomfortable.

"So you're awake." The bald man, who appeared to be the captain, folded his arms, staring down at him. "How do you explain yourself?"

"By starting out with an apology." Gohan cleared his throat. "I didn't know what else to do. I panicked." He looked up at them, and sighed. "I'm sorry."

"You're sorry? We're all going to die, now, kid." 17, as he appeared to be called, said. He looked like he was itching to hit Gohan again. He would have to try to avoid that

"Well, what would you have done? Surrendered?"

The room was silent now. The girl from earlier, the one he had attacked twice now—a thought that brought him no joy—cleared her throat. "You said you'd answer my questions."

Gohan shifted in his binds, and nodded. "I meant that. Ask away."

"What's your name?"

The question caught him off guard. He hadn't been expecting something so sincere. It was a nice change. "Son Gohan." It had been so long since he had said his name, or since someone had called him by it. Apart from his father and mother who he hardly saw anyway. Goten just called him 'big brother'.

"Gohan… alright." The girl, motioned to herself. "I'm Videl. This is Tienshinhan, Kuririn, Yamucha, and 17 and 18."

Gohan had heard stranger. He just nodded, though he almost spoke up about how pretty he thought the name Videl was.

"Are you…" She suddenly seemed flustered, and was blushing. "Are you a… um… a Sai…"

"A Saiyan?" Gohan completed, frowning as he did so. Everyone exchanged glances and then nodded. Gohan's tail flicked a little bit, and he nodded. "Yes, I'm a Saiyan."

It was silent after that, and it made Gohan feel uneasy. He wasn't sure what to make of their facial expressions, and it was putting him on edge.

"Saiyans are all dead." Kuririn said, looking back at the others who nodded in agreement. Gohan could hardly argue.

"Most of us are. There are only five of us left."

"Five? There are more of you?"

Gohan's tail bristled, and his hair stood on end at the terminology used. "Yes. More of me. Just the five. My brother, my father, and two others. The prince of Saiyans, Vegeta, and his son." He looked down. "There used to be a few more, but Freeza killed them all. The rest of us were sort of… being kept by him. He wanted to make us into weapons. At least that's what Vegeta always said about it." He looked up at the group of people surrounding him, who were all glaring at him skeptically. He would have to gain their trust somehow. Or at least make sure they didn't just hand him in.

"How did you know this was an Earth ship?" Yamucha asked, sitting down in one of the dining chairs.

The question struck him as odd for a moment, but then he remembered they didn't know a thing about him. He smiled and shook his head. "It's a big of a long story…"

"Well, we've got time, according to these nimrods." 17 snorted.

"Shut up, 17."

Gohan looked up at them and sighed. It was as good a place to start as any. "Well, you probably won't believe me, but I'll tell you anyways. I was born on Earth, on mount Paozu. My father had been sent to Earth as a child, by the Saiyans, back when Planet Vegeta still existed. Though he had somehow lost his memories of the planet and instead made Earth his home. I lived on earth for five years, and not even my father knew he was a Saiyan.

"But then, one day, a man named Raditz came to Earth to find my father. He was my uncle, my father's brother. He told my father he was a Saiyan and that Freeza was hunting the remaining Saiyans down and that we weren't safe on Earth. He told us to go with him, so that we could regroup with the other surviving Saiyans. My father decided to take me with him, and leave my mother on Earth, promising to come back. He said it was too dangerous for her to come with us. So we left with my uncle, into space to find the other Saiyans." Gohan looked down at the ground, a few tears coming to his eyes.

"We found a few. But Freeza found us anyways. He killed my uncle and all the other Saiyans except my dad and me. He took us back with him, where we met Vegeta." He smiled a little bit, despite himself. "My mother was a determined woman, though. She found us, eventually. Her and another woman. She told us she was going to get us out of there and take us back to Earth, but…" He shook his head after that. "Freeza's a bit too strong. But he said mom and that other woman could stay, and after a while my little brother was born. Freeza took him away instantly, along with Vegeta's son, which the other woman bore. We didn't get to see them for a long time…" After a while he realized he was rambling.

He shook his head and looked back up at the group of people who were all staring at him, and he sighed a little bit. They didn't believe him. In retrospect, he should have seen that coming. He grimaced a little, and wondered just what they were going to do with him. But then, something completely unexpected happened.

"What were the names of those women?" Yamucha's voice was deadly serious. "Your mother and the other woman."

Gohan looked up, confused as all get out. "What?"

"Their names!" Yamucha spat, standing up and taking a step forwards.

Gohan pushed himself back into the pole, a little nervous. He wasn't sure what their game was, but it was starting to freak him out. "My mother's name is Chi-Chi." He whispered. "And the other woman said her name was Bulma."


	4. Courage is Mastery of Fear

Videl tapped her fingers up and down on the plastic console that surrounded the bridge of their ship. Kuririn sat in his chair by the consoles that were in charge of steering the ship they were in, and 18 was leaning on his shoulder, with one hand on his messy hair. 17 was twirling around in the swivel chair, and the rest of the crew was sitting by the walls, except Yamucha who was pacing back and forth.

"Yamucha, you're going to wear a hole in the floor, and kill us all." Kuririn said, quietly.

"He's a liar. We can't trust him." Yamucha snarled, continuing to pace.

"Chi-Chi did mention she had a son." Tienshinhan said, quietly.

"She never said he was a Saiyan."

"She never said he wasn't."

"He's lying!" Yamucha insisted.

"Let's get down to the real issue, here." 17 said, turning about in his chair, lazily. "You don't like the fact that he said your girlfriend had a baby with a Saiyan Prince."

"Shut up, 17!"

Kuririn tapped a few switches. "He didn't know we knew Bulma or Chi-Chi. He couldn't have had any prior information, so the only way he could have had that information was if he was telling the truth."

"No!" Yamucha said, turning on him. "Bulma wouldn't just shack up with some… Saiyan, and have a baby with him."

"Look, I doubt it's that simple."

The room was silent for a long time before Videl finally spoke up. "What are we going to do with him?"

Silence filled the room again, and Tienshinhan removed himself from the wall. "Look, for now we have to figure out how to evade the feds. We're harboring a fugitive, and I highly doubt Freeza wants anyone knowing about his secret Saiyan projects, so he won't let us go even if we do hand him over. The kid is smart, and strong. We could dump him, but right now he's a bigger asset than a bane."

"So we're keeping him?" 17 asked, turning again. "Like a pet?"

"Shut up, 17." Yamucha hissed.

"Yes, we'll keep him around." Tienshinhan folded his arms. "Besides, if he is Chi-Chi's son, he might know where she is. Her and Bulma both."

* * *

><p>It had been nothing short of a cruel calculated gesture to leave him in the dining room. There was an entire bowl of fruit on the table, and Gohan hadn't eaten in days. He was still bolted to a pole and it was torturing him. He was trying as hard as he possibly could to reach the table with his foot, and he had twisted his body into some bizarre yoga position in order to reach his goal. And yet he wasn't even close. He grimaced as he stretched his body further than it was ever meant to go and his legs went out from under him, and he crashed to the ground. He groaned and pulled himself back up to the pole and looked up at it, cursing it. Freeza had done this to him a few times. Restrained him, left food in the middle of the room, and told him if he could budge the two hundred ton weight he was chained too, then he could have the food. It had pissed him off then, and it sure as hell was pissing him off now.<p>

He let his head hang, and was about to resign himself back to sleep like he usually did when the door opened. Gohan's head snapped up, and he looked over as Videl walked into the room. He offered her a small apologetic smile and she returned it briefly. She walked over and noticed the bruises that had formed on Gohan's exposed arms and legs, and frowned at him.

"What happened? Were those there before?"

"No… I… had a fight with gravity."

Videl blinked a few times and tilted her head. "What?"

Gohan flushed a little. "I was trying to steal your food."

Videl turned around and noticed the bowl full of peaches that was sitting tantalizingly close and she grabbed one up. Gohan winced, and wondered if she was going to eat it in front of him. That was another thing Freeza liked to do. But he was pleasantly surprised when she knelt down and offered it up to him. "Sorry, I can't undo your arms… I don't know where the keys are. Tienshinhan will come in later and unchain them."

"Really?" Gohan tried to keep the shock from his voice.

"Yeah, we deliberated. We're not going to turn you back over to Freeza."

"And your feeding me? Take my chains off? I like it here already."

Videl frowned and held the peach up to him and Gohan was all too happy to oblige and eat it out of her hands. She was soon holding a pit and it was all Gohan could do to not lick the juice off her fingers. But that would have been weird, so he restrained himself.

"Didn't get a lot to eat with Freeza, huh?"

"Well, as famous as Freeza's hospitality is, it's not exactly five stars."

Before they could advance the conversation further, the door opened and the captain from before walked into the room. He walked over and stood in front of Gohan. It made him feel small and slightly insignificant, and honestly he didn't like that feeling at all.

"We've decided not to throw you to the wolves."

"Videl told me."

"But we're not going to let you stay here for free."

"I figured." Gohan said, shifting in his binds. "I could tell the names were familiar. You knew my mother… didn't you?"

"And Bulma."

"I'm sorry." Gohan said looking down. "I wish I could tell you where they are. But… I haven't seen my mother in over five years."

"So you don't know either…"

"Well, she's probably close to where my father and brother are being held." Gohan looked up. "They're both still alive, I'm sure of it." He sighed a little bit and his eyes darkened. "At least, they'd better be, if Freeza knows what's good for him."

"Well first thing's first. We're going to need a new ship. Freeza's men have this one tagged."

"What? I love this ship!" Videl gasped. "We can't just trade her in!"

"We have to, if we don't want her to be space debris." Tienshinhan looked over at Videl, folding his arms. "It will only be temporary, we'll see her again."

Gohan had never really understood referring to ships in the feminine. His father had explained it to him once, saying: "Because, Gohan. Ships and women are very much alike. If you treat them badly, they will kill you. Probably in some explosive manner." Gohan didn't buy that for a second.

"The first order of business is what to do with you." Tienshinhan looked down at him. "Videl will take you to get some better clothes, and figure out something for you to do. Any skills?"

"Well, Saiyans are a warrior race, but I'm no mindless brute."

"No, that's what 17 and 18 are for."

"Harsh, Tien." Videl whispered.

"I'm smart." Gohan said, shifting again. "I know how to build things, and math always was my best subject." He blushed a little. "Just don't ask me to program any computers or steer anything."

"Deal. Ever since Bulma vanished we've needed a new mechanic. You think you can manage that?"

"Sure."

"Good." He walked over and grabbed the chains that connected to the cuffs on Gohan's wrists and pulled them apart. "I can't remove the cuffs. They're made of stronger stuff than most of this ship."

Videl tapped one of them as Gohan stood up, stretching his arms out. "How much do these things weigh?"

"Hm?" Gohan looked down at them. "These? About twenty tons."

"Twenty tons? You're moving around like it's nothing, but you've got twenty tons of weight on you?"

"No." Gohan shook his head. "Eighty tons. I've got four of them."

"They weigh twenty tons each?"

"It's not so bad." Gohan frowned. "My father has fifty ton shackles. So does Vegeta. Goten and Trunks have ten."

"Fifty..?" Videl's jaw dropped. "Saiyans must be some mighty people…"

"They don't bother me. I'd almost feel naked without them, I think." Gohan laughed. "Speaking of, could I maybe get some better clothes?"

"Oh… oh sure." Videl said, motioning to the corridor. "Here, follow me."

* * *

><p>The room was absolutely still. Not a single thing was stirring, and Trunks almost dare not breathe. His heart was pounding and he was plastered up against the wall of the enormous maze he stood in. The air was almost stagnant and Trunks closed his eyes, and swallowed heavily. He listened. There off in the distance, he heard it.<p>

_Ba-thump, screeeeech. Ba-thump, screeeeech._

He swallowed hard again, and silently prayed. "Please…" He whispered. "Don't let it find me." He knew it would. Still he was ever hopeful that today would be the day he succeeded at Freeza's so called 'stealth training. Of course, Freeza had made it perfectly clear that he didn't expect much from 'a bunch of monkeys, bumbling about in the maze.' Trunks was scared to move.

Then, suddenly, a huge slimy green hand slapped onto the corner above Trunks' head and he jumped a little as the enormous scaly face of some nameless lizard alien slid around the corner, to face him. A forked tongue slithered out between the sharp fang and Trunks felt a bead of sweat run down his forehead, as a puff of hot breath hit his face.

"Found you… Little morssssel."

Trunks' instinct to panic kicked in and he ran. He bolted down the rooms of the maze and could hear the rhythmic pounding of the thing chasing after him. He closed his eyes and swallowed hard, trying to calm himself enough to keep running. The chains on his shackles had been removed, but it didn't help his movement any. He rounded a few more corners, and slid to a halt in front of a wall. Dead end. He turned around to run the other way, but the lizard was right up on him in no time. Trunks fell back wards and began to scoot away as fast as he could. The alien stepped forwards, bracing his huge form up against the walls.

"Don't be afraid, little bite… Thissss won't hurt."

Trunks knew better than to trust that phrase. When adults said, not to worry, or to not be afraid, you had better buckle up. Because that generally meant something incredibly painful was about to happen. Trunks backed himself up into the wall, and stared up at the alien wide eyed. This always happened. He wasn't any good at stealth, and he never would be. His father had always dismissed it as cowardly, and said any man you kill should be facing you. Aware of your presence. Aware that you were so much better than they were.

The alien licked its lips, and suddenly lunged forwards, trails of saliva trailing down its chin onto the floor. Its hand shot towards Trunks with frightening speed, claws extended. The intent to kill very much evident in the attack. Trunks panicked again. He extended his hand out to the creature, and a blast hot enough to melt metal radiated from his palm, incinerating the alien from the waist up. He gasped for breath as the torso of the alien crumbled to the floor, smoke rising up off it. He winced. This wasn't good.

A buzzer sounded and Trunks looked up as the walls of the maze lowered back into the ground, leaving him in a huge and bare room. He turned over onto his hands and knees and pushed himself up as the door opened. He winced as Freeza and Zarbon walked through the doors. Dodoria walked in a few seconds behind, and shut the door behind them. Freeza walked over, and Trunks took a few steps back, shuffling his feet, visibly cowed by the tyrant.

"… Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought the order was for a… stealth assassination."

"It was, lord Freeza." Zarbon was all too quick to answer.

"This doesn't look very stealthy, SV002." Freeza looked down at Trunks who backed up a few paces.

"He was going to kill me." Trunks stared down at his feet, folding his arms behind his back. "I tried to hide and kill him that way, but he found me too easily."

"Yes, because you gave your position away."

"I tried." Trunks closed his eyes. "I tried really hard."

A vicious strike to his face nearly sent Trunks through the floor. He fell backwards and Freeza's clawed foot collided with his chest. "Trying doesn't count for much, little monkey. The only things that count are success and failure." His eyes narrowed. "This is a failure."

Trunks wasn't sure what to do. He struggled underneath the foot, wincing and tears brimming in his eyes. He wanted to call out for someone to save him, but he had learned early that no one came. No one ever came, and no one ever would. And it only made Freeza laugh.

"Well, we can't expect too much from him, lord Freeza." Zarbon folded his arms behind his back. "He is Vegeta's son. While Vegeta is powerful, he lacks the intelligence necessary for stealth."

"My father isn't stupid!" Trunks snapped from the floor, glaring at the green haired man.

"Be quiet." Freeza snarled. He then sighed theatrically and reached down, grabbing the collar of Trunks' shirt and pulling him out from underneath his foot. "Still, I had hoped you wouldn't take after your father so much, SV002. I mean, I had hoped we'd raised you better than that. Well, we still have the woman, we can always scrap you and start from scratch."

Trunks' eyes widened in fear and he grabbed onto Freeza's arm to steady himself as his feet left the ground. "N-No!" He cried out. "Please, don't! I'll get it right! I promise I'll get it right!" He said, tears flowing down his cheeks.

"Really now? What do you think, Zarbon? Should I get the boy another chance?"

"I think he's had enough chances."

"You hear that, SV002? Zarbon thinks you've had enough chances."

"I'll do better! I'll get better, I'll be stronger than he is!" Trunks said, pointing a shaking finger at Zarbon. "I bet I'm stronger now! I'll get it right…" He whimpered. "I'll get it right, I'll practice…"

"Stronger than Zarbon? Well that's a hefty claim, little monkey."

"I'll prove it." Trunks sniffled. "I'll fight him!"

"What do you think, Zarbon?"

"I'll gladly put the little wretch in his place."

Freeza dropped Trunks to the ground who stood up quickly, wiping his nose on the back of his hand, sniffing. Zarbon took a step forwards, and Freeza stepped back to stand with Dodoria. Zarbon smirked down at him, and Trunks curled his fist angrily and wiped his reddened face.

"Please begin." Freeza smirked.

"You know, I get no pleasure from beating children generally, but you're a special case-"

Trunks wasn't one who allowed talk time. His father had always told him that a battle was no place for idle chatter. It gave your opponent a chance to rile you and Trunks was already angry enough. He kicked Zarbon in the chest hard enough to knock him backwards. Zarbon crashed to the floor and looked up.

"Why you little-" He reached out to grab the scruff of Trunks' shirt, but Trunks was too angry, and too upset to be deterred. He jumped up and landed on Zarbon's neck, pinning him to the ground, by his shoulders, and with more satisfaction than he probably should have felt he landed a punch between Zarbon's eyes. And another. And then another. And then maybe five or six more. This would have gone on for hours if he wanted, but he felt a hand grab him by the back of his shirt and lift him off the ground. He looked back at Freeza who was holding him.

"Alright, I believe you've made your point."

"You little savage!" Zarbon said, holding his nose. "I ought to…"

"You'll do nothing, Zarbon. You'll go clean yourself off, and report to me about SG002's status." Freeza turned around, handing Trunks off to Dodoria. "You take him back to the cell. He's done for today."

"Yes, Lord Freeza."

"Gohan's status? Did something happen to Gohan?" Trunks asked, confusion showing plainly on his face.

"Yes, dear boy. It seems he got… lost."

"Lost? Is he okay?"

"Well we'll find out, won't we? Do say hello to your father for me. I didn't have time to go see him today." With those words, Freeza left the room.

Trunks frowned and looked down as Dodoria pulled him off back towards his tiny cell. He'd have to share this knowledge with the others, at least. He wondered if Gohan was okay. No, he didn't wonder. He hoped.


	5. Forgiveness is a Virtue of the Brave

It felt so good to be doing something useful again. Gohan crawled through a tiny space, and flattened himself onto his belly as he reached forwards to grab the wire that was causing him so much grief. It wasn't really inhibiting the ship's movements but it was certainly going to make things more efficient. He grabbed the wires with his thick rubber gloves, and twisted it around, reaching with his other hand to cap it off. He smiled at his handy work as he pulled out of the crawlspace, and rocked back onto his knees looking up at the engine.

"You shouldn't work too hard. Tien says we'll be landing soon."

Gohan turned around to see Videl who was carrying a tray with several steaming plates on it. He smiled at her, and pointed up at it. "Is that for me?"

"No, I thought I'd come eat my dinner in here while you starve." She set it down on the floor. "Of course it's for you. You didn't come down when the rest of us were eating."

"I didn't think I'd be invited. No offense but it doesn't seem like your crew likes me very much." He said, pulling the gloves off and pulling the tray closer to him. Videl at down on the opposite wall from him. "Though I can't complain. I did sort of bring a lot of trouble to you guys."

"Hey, don't worry about it." Videl said, waving her hand. "Now we finally have an idea of where to look for Chi-Chi and Bulma."

"Yes, while the entirety of Freeza's army searches for you." Gohan looked down at the floor. "You know, you could leave me on a planet, and I could draw them away from you."

"That's heroic. But won't it be safer for you if you're on the move?"

"Well…"

"They'd probably just blow that planet up." Videl said. "And if we let them kill you, Chi-Chi might… well…"

Gohan shuddered. "You have a point there." He lifted one of the plates and started eating ravenously. Zarbon never had liked him, and getting to kill him would probably be a dream come true. Even if Freeza did try to get him back alive, Zarbon was always very good at making up excuses. The two sat in silence for a while, before Videl folded her arms over her knees.

"So. You lived on Earth?"

"Yes, till I was five."

"And you and your father never questioned why you had tails?"

Gohan laughed. "Well, my father figured that all humans had tails when he met my mother. He was shocked when she didn't have one. Eventually he just passed it off as some sort of mutation, and when I had one they just dismissed it all the same. Mom never like it though." Gohan looked back at his tail swished back and forth.

Videl reached out to touch the tip of his tail. "Well I like it." She said, as her fingers came in contact with it. His fail instinctively twitched away from her grip and he coiled it around his waist, looking up at her apprehensively. She blinked a few times before lowering her hand. "Sorry, I didn't mean to freak you out."

"No, no, it's okay." Gohan shook his head. "It's just… our tails are really sensitive. Vegeta always got mad when me and my dad let them flick around and would always tell us to tie them around our waists like belts. They're safer that way, but… old habits and how they die hard."

"Well, no one will be touching your tail here." Videl said, leaning back onto her hands. "You should be pretty safe here, you know."

"Thanks." Gohan nodded. "It's nice to be with people again." He looked down. "Now, all I have to do is get strong enough to rescue my family, and…" He shook his head. "Well I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. For now, I should probably just worry about getting my strength back."

Videl nodded her approval. "Right. I'm sure you'll save your little brother, and father very soon. Or maybe they'll break out."

"Well that'd be nice." Gohan nodded. "But not likely. Freeza's security is… not lax in the least."

"As one would expect from a galactic overlord." Videl said quietly. "Well don't worry. I'm sure they'll be safe."

Gohan nodded again, and closed his eyes. "Yeah, I'm sure."

Then suddenly the ship rocked violently. Gohan and Videl lurched forwards and Gohan tumbled, rolling over back onto his hands and knees. Both looked at each other and Videl swallowed heavily. "What was that?"

"Let's go find out."

Gohan jumped up, grabbing Videl's hand and pulling her along down the hallways. He ran towards the bridge, and jumped up, grabbing onto the ladder, and jumping up onto the floor. "What's going on?"

The whole crew was already up there, and Kuririn was busy trying to steer the ship while 18 kept her hands on his shoulders. Yamucha looked back first, and sneered. "Your little friends found us."

Gohan swallowed hard and looked out the window, to see that indeed they were surrounded on all sides, by what could only be described as an army. He frowned, and tightened a hand around his chest, which was tightening at the sight. "Oh no…"

17 snorted. "Yeah, that's right. Oh no. This is nothing short of a mild inconvenience."

Gohan walked up to the window and put his hands on it. He mentally counted the number of ships and felt his stomach drop. There was more than enough firepower there for them to be blown away in an instant. So why weren't they dust? Were they planning on negotiations? Why the hell would they do that?

"Well they're calling us." Kuririn said, quietly.

Tienshinhan walked over. "Accept it."

Gohan looked over as the dark screen on the console lit up. Zarbon's face appeared and he instantly scowled.

"What can we do for you?" Tienshinhan said, narrowing his eyes.

"Oh come on, let's not do this. You have something that belongs to us, and we want it back."

Gohan bristled again at being called an 'it', and he looked over as Videl put her hand on his shoulder. Tienshinhan remained cool and collected. "The kid."

"Yes. The boy. Now, we're awaiting permission to blow your little ship to smithereens. But. If you want to play nice, and send our little commodity back over here, we're willing to overlook this transgression."

"What transgression?" 17 asked, sticking his head into the frame. "He kidnapped one of our crew, remember?"

"Yes, unfortunate, but the fact remains that we're willing to take him off your hands and let you get by, free of charge." Zarbon said, looking at his nails.

"He's lying." Gohan spoke up and they all looked over at him. "He's just trying to see if he can get me back alive. There's no way he's going to let you guys go."

"Why, SG002, you're on the deck. What a surprise." Zarbon said, craning his neck, as if he could see around the parameters of the screen. "Why don't you come over here, then?"

Gohan walked next to Tienshinhan, and stood there quietly.

"Aren't you looking well? Lord Freeza will be pleased to hear that. Now, what's this about me lying?" Zarbon said, smirking and tossing his hair over his shoulder.

"You're not going to let these people go, Zarbon. And you're probably dying for an excuse to blow me away anyways."

Tienshinhan folded his arms. "He has a point." He said, nodding to Gohan. "How can we possibly be sure that you'd hold up your end of the deal?"

"Well, it's your best bet, isn't it?"

Kuririn stood up. "You've already fired on us once, our best bet is not to deal with you at all."

"Well that's disappointing. The orders to destroy you and reclaim it's dead body will come through in about an hour. I've made you a very generous offer, and have an army surrounding you. You can't run, so I recommend you reconsider my offer." He leaned forwards. "And SG002, I recommend you do some thinking as well, as difficult as that may be. Think about these people's lives you've endangered, and make a choice."

"Hey!" Videl shoved her way into the frame. "I think we've all heard enough from you." She snarled. "And his name is Gohan, for the record."

Gohan looked over at her, shocked. She was defending him? After all he had done to her? That seemed unlikely, but he appreciated the gesture nonetheless. Zarbon only laughed and terminated the call. Gohan clenched his fists.

17 cleared his throat, which made a mechanical whirring noise. "Um, what are we going to do, exactly?"

"I'm not sure." Tienshinhan said, quietly.

"I'll get rid of them." Gohan spoke up. All eyes turned on him and Gohan looked up, clenching his fists determinedly. "I'll clear a path, and you guys have to be ready to go as quickly as possible."

"What are you talking about?" Yamucha spoke up, turning on him. "What do you plan on doing exactly?"

"I'll go out there, and I'll clear a path for you. And then you fly as quickly as you can. This a transport ship, you don't have any guns on this thing. So I'll be the guns."

"Well what about you?" Videl asked. "First off, it's space out there, and second if we fly away you'd get knocked off the ship before you could get back in."

"I know."

"What?" She turned on him.

"I said I know. Look, I'm not going to give you guys any more trouble. I put you all in danger, and now I'm going to make up for it." He turned around. "Just be ready to fly the second you get a chance." And then with those words, he left the room. And no one followed him.

* * *

><p>Gohan climbed up the ladder, adjusting the hems of his clothes as he did so. He wouldn't have much time, and he knew they'd send out ships to retrieve him the moment he showed himself. He climbed into the airlock, and closed the door behind him before grabbing an oxygen mask off the wall. His Saiyan body would be able to withstand the harshness of space for a little while, but there was still no air. This would help him a little bit. He strapped it to his face and grabbed the tank off the wall, securing it to his back. In retrospect he had a feeling he should have seen this coming.<p>

He climbed out into the dark silence of space, watching the air flow out around him as he closed the hatch. He quickly adjusted to the weightless environment and steadied his feet onto the ship. He looked up and raised a hand, letting his Ki glow around it. A gesture of surrender. Or at least that's how Zarbon would interpret it.

The reaction was almost instantaneous. About five small shuttles detached from the fleet and began to fly towards him. The rest of the fleet began to move in as well. As they approached, Gohan turned and looked towards the front of the ship. The fleet was already narrowing. He took a deep breath through the mask as they all got closer. He lifted his feet lightly a few inches off the ship, and slowly folded his arms over his chest. The Ki began to glow and radiate of his hands, sending heat out into the void of space. He closed his eyes as his aura burst up around him.

And then, with all hell's fury, he opened his eyes and held his arms up. "Masenko!"

The effects were instantaneous. The blast of Ki spread out, but he was able to focus the brunt of it towards the front, blasting a hole in the fleet ten times the size of the ship he stood on. And he wasn't even finished. Gohan threw his head back, summoning up more of his Ki as he blast it in every which direction, repelling ships and blasting more space for the ship to go through. He looked down and noticed the ship was starting to move underneath him, preparing for full burn, if he wasn't mistaken.

He smiled and looked up, letting his attack die down and preparing for the worst, when suddenly something grabbed his ankle. He gasped as something else grabbed his other ankle and pulled him down. The something's were quickly identified as two pairs of hands, as he felt them grab him by the waist and haul him downwards. His first thought was that Zarbon's men had grabbed him, but that thought was dispelled when he found himself being pulled downwards into the air lock he had climbed out a few seconds before. The door slammed shut behind him, as the ship approached dangerous speeds, pushing past the fleet that Gohan had cleared out.

The gravity hit him as the chamber filled with air once more and he crashed to the ground. He looked up, pulling the mask off his face and found himself face to face with the familiar forms of 17 and 18.

17 smirked a little. "Honestly, if you're supposed to be so smart, why didn't YOU think of that?"

Gohan honestly had no answer.

* * *

><p>Goku had always had a better attitude, in times like this. Even when he was in one of the worst positions he could possibly think of, he was still as chipper and optimistic as always. It was just who he was. He allowed himself to be lead back to their cell quietly, most days. Just happy to be able to rest after a long day of a sorry excuse for training. It wasn't so much training as it was being beaten and tested, and sometimes being expected to fight.<p>

Vegeta on the other hand… well he had something he constantly referred to as Saiyan pride, which Goku had never really understood. He fought, struggled, and even sometimes managed to seriously wound the people 'escorting' them. Goku was just tired and ready to see his sons again. Plus there was usually the promise of food Goten and Trunks had become surprisingly adept at stealing.

"I will NEVER understand you, Kakarot." Vegeta snapped from behind him, shrugging off yet another hand that tried to land on his shoulder to shove him forwards.

"What do you mean?" Goku asked looking over his shoulder.

"You've been stabbed through the chest, humiliated repeatedly, tortured with various devices… and yet when a needle appears, you turn into a coward."

Goku's face turned pale as he remembered the 'doctor' who had tried to approach him today with a needle. He had said it was something that would help him heal quicker and Goku had run faster than he had ever run in his entire life. "I _hate_ needles, Vegeta." He said, shuddering.

"It's a piece of metal."

"It's a needle!" Goku said, almost turning around. "I hate needles! I'd rather get sick than be stuck with a needle!"

"You're a fool."

"I don't know how you can stand those doctors sticking you all the time."

"It's a healing solution. If it makes me stronger I'll take it. If the fools want to hasten their deaths by healing me, I won't complain." Vegeta sneered. "Besides, it's just a needle."

Goku was about to assert that it was NOT just a needle, but a metal tipped death tube, when they arrived at the door to their cell. It was open and Goku stepped through while Vegeta needed a shove, refusing to lower his pride by stepping in on his own. The first thing that Goku noticed was that there was no food on the floor. His disappointment was quickly over taken by the sight of Goten sitting against the wall next to Trunks, both their faces buried in their knees. He frowned and walked in.

"Goten?"

Goten looked up and ran over. "Dad!" He wrapped his arms around Goku's leg, and clung to him tightly, burying his face in his father's pant leg. "I don't wanna get scrapped!"

"Scrapped?" Goku said, leaning down and picking his son up. "What do you mean, scrapped?"

"Freeza told Trunks today that he would scrap him and start over cause he failed the stealth course. I'm even worse at the stealth course, so he's probably gonna scrap me too!"

Vegeta walked in, his ears perking at this revelation. "What was that?"

Goku patted Goten on the back, hushing him. "Don't worry, Goten. No one's gonna 'scrap' you. After all, where are they gonna get another Goten?"

Goten laid his head down on his father's chest while Vegeta walked up to Trunks who was still sitting against the wall. "What's he talking about, Trunks?"

Trunks looked up and wiped his nose. "He said he was gonna kill me and start over from scratch." He said, curling up tighter.

Goku could see Vegeta's hair bristle and saw the older Saiyan's tail's tighten in anger. "Did he now?"

"I'm not good at the stealth stuff."

"Of course you're not. You're a Saiyan. We aren't cowards you hide in the dark and shoot our enemies in the back. If you kill someone, he had better be standing, and he had better be facing you."

"Yeah, I know that, but…" Trunks wipes his nose again. "What if he does scrap me?"

"He will do no such thing!" Vegeta raised his voice. "Freeza had better get it through his thick head that you are my heir and the only one I plan on having. Don't forget that you are a prince, Trunks. He can bluff all he wants, so wipe your tears." Vegeta folded his arms. "Now, boy! You are a Saiyan elite, and a royal on top of that! We do not cry and we do not succumb to Freeza's petty threats."

Trunks sniffled and stood up, wiping his face. He looked up at his father, and Goku smiled bouncing Goten a little who was still hiccupping and wiping his own face. Vegeta was hard on Trunks but when the matter of his safety came up, it was obvious Vegeta really did care. It just took a lot to see it.

Trunks looked up at Vegeta and finished wiping his face off. "I punched Zarbon in the face today. After I knocked him on the floor and sat on his neck."

Vegeta's smirk grew and he threw his head back and laughed. He reached down and ruffled Trunks' hair. "That's my boy."


	6. Trust is Not Easily Gained

"Lost?" The words echoed throughout their small prison as Trunks reached across his father's lap to reach another portion of what was passed for food. The guards had thrown it down into their cell a few moments ago, and as they had started eating, Trunks remembered what Freeza had said about Gohan.

"Uh huh." Trunks, looked up "That's what Freeza said."

His father laughed, and Goten and Goku both looked up at him, curiously. "Lost. Well congratulations, Kakarot, it appears your eldest was able to escape."

"Escape?" Goten looked up at Goku, who was in the middle of munching on some stale bread. "Did big brother escape?" He asked, hopefully.

"I guess he must have." Goku said, contemplatively. "Well isn't that good news!" He smiled. "I guess there must be hope for us yet!"

"Hope? Doubtful." Vegeta sneered, as he handed Trunks a piece of food he'd been reaching for. "Freeza clearly made some sort of mistake, and your boy got lucky." He said, leaning back against the wall.

"Still," Goten said, bouncing up onto his feet. "That means he'll come back and rescue us!"

"If he's smart, he won't."

"Huh?"

"Gohan's strong, Goten." Trunks said, his mouth full. "But he's not stronger than Freeza. If he comes back, he'll probably just get caught again."

Goten frowned and sat back down. "Oh… So he's not going to save us."

"He won't have to." Vegeta ripped the flesh off a haunch of some unidentifiable meat, and chewed it, carefully. "I plan on killing Freeza someday, and the way things are progressing, it won't be long."

"Now, come on, let's not ruin good news like this." Goku said, smiling and waving his hand, as if that could diffuse the tension in the room. "For now, I'm just happy to hear that Gohan has escaped. And I'll bet Chi-Chi will be happy to hear it too."

"And just how do you plan on telling her this news, Kakarot?"

"Uhh…"

"That's what I thought."

"Well, whatever." Goku smiled brightly. "It's big news. She's bound to hear about it somehow or another!"

* * *

><p>"What the hell do you mean, Gohan is dead?"<p>

It was all Bulma could do to restrain Chi-Chi as she attempted to lunge at the overlord who had decided to visit. It wasn't often, that Freeza stooped down to visit them, and every time he did, it meant bad news for the two women who were trapped there. And this time was no exception.

"It's a terrible shame." Freeza inspected his nails. "He was a very valuable commodity."

"Valuable…?" Chi-Chi attempted to lunge for the tyrant's neck, but Bulma managed to stop her, and hold her back. "That's my son you're talking about! What do you mean he's dead?" She hollered.

"Please, lower your voice. It's unattractive when women yell."

This issued an inhuman snarl from Chi-Chi and Bulma was just praying that they wouldn't be incinerated then and there. She pushed Chi-Chi back, and held her there as Freeza continued talking.

"There was an accident while we were transporting him and… well… in one of our attempts to recover him, he seems to have… passed away. Tragically, of course."

"Passed away? You mean you killed him!"

"An unavoidable misfortune." Freeza sighed dramatically.

"You killed my son, you bastard!"

"And that's precisely why I'm here. See, I'm aware of how… heart breaking, this must be for you, and so I believe we can help one another. See, SG002 was an incredibly valuable commodity, as I said earlier, and replacing him will not be easy by any stretch of the imagination, but with some time, I believe your younger son will be able to take his place. That will, however, leave me with a hole in the program I have him in now. And so, I am willing to allow you and your husband some… mourning time, and within a few odd months, we can fill that gap quite easily."

Chi-Chi was shaking violently, and Bulma held her tightly, he own rage boarding on a dangerous level. "You… come in here, and announce the death of my oldest son. And then you have the gall… to ask me to… to…" He words broke, and Bulma had to steady her. The look of amusement on Freeza's face was starting to get to her too.

"I'm terribly sorry, was that insensitive?" He asked mockingly. "I suppose you're right, you've already bore two Saiyans, it's not quite fair to ask you to bear a third." He turned to Bulma. "However, you've only had one. Perhaps I can coax Vegeta into revisiting his relationship with you."

Bulma nearly lost her cool then and there. Freeza just laughed, and turned around. "Well, I suppose I'll give the two of you some time to think it over." And with that, he left the room, the door sliding shut with a pneumatic hiss behind him. Chi-Chi instantly fell to the ground, holding her arms, and shaking and sobbing quietly.

"Gohan… my Gohan…"

Bulma knelt next to her taking her shoulders. "Chi… we can listen to what that psycho says!" She said, quietly. "Gohan is strong, there's no way he'd be killed by those losers!"

"But, Bulma, he…"

"No! He's a very smart and bright boy. He's strong and as resilient as Goku or Vegeta!" She said, grabbing Chi-Chi's shoulders, strongly. "He probably faked his death so they'd stop looking for him!"

"You think so?"

"Of course! You'll see, he'll show up here and save us both within days. I'll bet you anything."

She could tell that Chi-Chi was calmed by this, but Bulma had failed to convince herself. She sighed and sat down on the bed, pulling Chi-Chi into a hug, and looked towards the window. Gohan had better not make her a liar.

* * *

><p>Gohan sneezed once as he stepped back onto the bridge. 17 and 18 both stepped in after him, and all eyes were on him. He rubbed his nose, and smiled a little bit. "Um… I'm back."<p>

"That was incredible, Gohan!" Kuririn turned around to face him. "That's quite a punch you're packing."

"It was impressive." Tienshinhan said, folding his arms. "Still, there was no need to sacrifice yourself, like that. There were plenty of options where you could get away with us safely. I understand you feel the need to redeem yourself to us, but we don't need someone who tries to throw himself under a bus every few seconds."

Gohan blushed and folded his arms behind his back. "I'm sorry."

"You should be." Videl said, folding her arms. "I mean, how would we feel if we went through all the trouble of saving you and then you just went and got yourself captured?"

"It's true." 17 said, walking back to his swivel chair. "We may be fools, but let it not be said that we are not committed fools. When we make a mistake we stand by it till the end, dammit."

Gohan looked at the faces that were all staring at him, and he rubbed his nose again. "I'm sorry." He repeated. "I guess I got a little bit ahead of myself there."

"No kidding." 18 said, leaning on Kuririn. "And don't make us come get you again. Because we won't."

"I won't, I promise." Gohan nodded. "But… speaking of which, why didn't either of you have any breathing masks on? You were just out in space with no protection at all."

"17 and 18 aren't human." Yamucha said, raising a foot to stop 17 from spinning around. "Didn't you wonder why they had numbers for names? They're robots."

"Excuse me!" 17 exclaimed, standing up. "We're cyborgs. We're augmented humans. Humans 2.0. We're not robots."

"The point is, we don't need to breath. Or rather, we can go longer without air. Like 17 said, we still have human parts." 18 said, tapping her stomach.

"Cyborgs…" Gohan breathed. "Wow, that's incredible."

"There we go, some recognition." 17 said, kicking Yamucha's foot off his chair and resuming his spinning. "He thinks we're incredible."

"He also spent the last ten years of his life under Freeza's lock and key."

Videl walked over and folded her arms, and Gohan looked down at her, while 17 and Yamucha continued arguing. He put a hand behind his head and smiled nervously. "You're mad, aren't you?"

"I am."

"What can I do to make it better?"

"Well, a few more 'I'm sorry's, wouldn't hurt."

"Alright. I'm sorry I tried to save all your lives and get Freeza to stop chasing you."

Videl grabbed his ear. "Don't be a smart alec about it!" She snapped. Gohan laughed as she pulled him down. "Now come on. We're going to get you a disguise."

"A disguise?"

"Yes, we're going into port." She said, pulling him off the bridge, towards the crew's quarters. "And you're a wanted fugitive. So you'll need a disguise."

"Well… alright, I guess I can't argue with that."

* * *

><p>"I feel silly."<p>

"Oh be quiet. You look fine."

"Couldn't you have found me a hood and some sunglasses?"

"No, that would be suspicious. Not to mention conspicuous."

"A brightly colored cape and helmet isn't conspicuous?"

"Not here it's not."

Gohan followed the rest of the crew, blushing madly underneath the helmet they had put on him. He felt ridiculous, and desperately out of place. And every chance he got, 17 was making some sort of ridiculous joke at his expense. It was humiliating, but for some reason, no one was staring at him. A few children they had passed had snickered at him, but everyone else accepted it like it was an every day occurrence.

The world they had landed on was a strange one, to be sure. It orbited a red dwarf, which made the sky a bloody crimson. And it was so closer to that star, that the planet didn't even turn on an axis any longer. Therefore one side was trapped in perpetual daylight, and the other in freezing night. The only place that was even remotely habitable was the narrow strip between the two where the temperature wasn't going to freeze or burn them. This locked the town, and all its inhabitants in a perpetual state of twilight. The red light had strange effects on the plant life too. Anything that Gohan saw that was remotely familiar was pitch black. So to summarize, Gohan now found himself on a planet with red skies, black plants, never ending twilight, and signs cautioning him that a step too far in one direction would either freeze or incinerate him. Either way, Gohan couldn't wait to leave.

The town they were walking through now was a small dirty one, with street vendors standing out in the son, offering up a variety of goods. The smell alone was enough to curdle his stomach. It was heavy with the salty smell of the sea, and the overpowering scent of alcohol was so thick Gohan could have cut it with a knife. Smoke and dust filled the air, from the vendors selling what Gohan could only assume to be food.

Gohan pulled his helmet down over his face again, and ran up to catch up with the others. "And we're going to get a ship here?"

"No one bothers Gliese ships." Yamucha said, looking back at him.

"Yeah, cause… they live on this hell hole."

"And no one will think to look for our ship here."

Gohan couldn't help but agree. It was a horrifying place. They finally came up an enormous hangar, and he peered around the corner. The ships they had found were… haggard looking. They looked just about ready to fall apart at a moments notice, and as they walked by, one in fact DID fall apart. The wing nearly crushed Kuririn, but was quickly deflected by 18 who had only to raise a hand to knock it away. Gohan walked up to Videl and leaned in close.

"Um, I have a question… are 18 and Kuririn…"

"A couple?" Videl asked, looking up. "Yes. They're married."

"Wow…" Gohan whispered. "I never would have guessed. I mean, not that I'm really shocked but… she didn't seem like the type too… uh… never mind. I'm rambling." He laughed quietly as the group approached a sleazy looking merchant who was flipping through what looked like a magazine. Gohan averted his eyes from it, nervous that it was full of something his innocent eyes wouldn't be able to handle.

Tienshinhan walked up and tapped on the magazine. "We need a ship."

The merchant looked up and coughed, and Gohan was almost expecting him to hack up a lung or whatever breathing apparatus this race used. He winced and tried not to judge too much. The man looked up at them, and seemed to size them up a few moments before looking back down at the magazine.

"We don't take credit."

"I have the zeni."

"Million."

"I'll give you four thousand."

"Million."

"For this junk?" Tienshinhan gestured to the ships. "I'll five you four thousand."

"I've got plenty of other customers."

"Oh yes, we had to fight the line." Yamucha said, folding his arms over his chest. "Look at all these people offering you money."

"These ships couldn't have cost you more than a thousand. They're junk. I'm giving you a three thousand profit."

The merchant looked up at him, and seemed to think it over a few moments. He sighed and held his hand out. "Six thousand."

"Deal."

Gohan looked up at the ship they were standing under. "Wait, do these things even fly?"

"No."

Tienshinhan shook his head. "They will once we're done with it. It's just some more work we have to do. But we should be plenty safe on this planet for a while." He said, taking a key code from the merchant and turning to the ship they'd been given.

"Yeah. Cause it's a hell hole."

"Thank you, 17."

Gohan was itching to get out of the disguise they had put him in, and walked up to the hunk of junk they'd been designated. "This will take a lot of work…"

"Good thing we have a genius mechanic, huh?" Videl said, coming up behind him, smiling at him. Gohan laughed nervously and looked up at the ship. In the very back of his mind he wondered if it would have been easier to have been caught back then.

* * *

><p>Freeza sat in his chair, tilting his glass about his fingers. It was empty, but he held onto it anyways. He stared at the screens before him, and frowned folding a hand over his mouth. He had never been put in such a compromising position before. That one Saiyan was certainly causing more trouble than he was worth. He has decimated over half of Zarbon's fleet in less than a minute, and he knew that wasn't even a fraction of what he was capable of. If Freeza allowed him to continue on as he was, then it would certainly be a problem.<p>

He had told the two women that the boy was dead, and that had been amusing for a while, but now he was seriously considering that option now. The boy couldn't be allowed to run free. He would either belong to Freeza or be dead. And if he was going to be this much trouble than Freeza would destroy a thousand worlds to find him. After all, he had a war to prepare for. And SG002 was supposed to be one of his greatest commodities.

Though he still had the children. They were a truly rare thing to have had dropped into his lap, and the thought pleased him. Vegeta, and the other Saiyan, Son Goku would be useful but they might only have one use if Freeza couldn't break them. He could simply turn them loose on the opposing forces, and then attempt to retrieve them afterwards. But the children… now there was a rare opportunity. Certainly leaving them with their fathers was probably a poor choice. After all, Vegeta would probably take any opportunity to poison them.

Still the things were young, and could be molded easily. And Freeza needed to learn some of that Saiyan brutality if they were going to be useful. Eventually he would make them into his greatest weapons. But for now, things were going along just as well. All he needed to do was find SG002.


	7. Peace is Liberty in Tranquillity

Videl picked up a large crate of supplies off the small transport vehicle, and stumbled a bit under the weight, carrying it up to their new ship, which she personally thought was a downgrade. She climbed the ramp and nearly fell backwards, as her foot collided with a slippery pool of oil, or what she could only assume to be oil, that had leaked from the cracks in the roof. Two hands caught her shoulders and pushed her back up to where she could set the crate down.

"Whoa, careful there, Vi."

Videl let the crate fall to the ground, careful not to catch her fingers and looked back. "Thanks, Yamucha."

He put his hand on her hair and looked down. "You don't have to do the heavy lifting you know. You can help Kuririn run some diagnostics if they're too heavy."

Videl huffed, and folded her arms. "What, you think I'm not strong enough?"

Yamucha laughed and shook his head. "Come on, that's not what I said. Never mind, why don't you help me grab that big one." He said, jerking a thumb back at the transport. She nodded and walked back down the ramp, before grabbing one end while he grabbed the other. They both lifted it up, and began to slowly move towards the ramp. Videl took a deep breath and put her entire weight into lifting it up, and as she did she saw Gohan slide past her, pick up two crates and sprint back onto the ship ahead of her.

She huffed and tightened her grip. "Show off." The two carried it up onto the ship and set it down as Gohan sprinted back to grab another. Videl shook her head, and wiped her brow. She looked up at Yamucha who was watching Gohan run back and forth, while leaning on the crate with his forearm. Videl frowned and pulled her self up onto the crate, and sat there, quietly looking down at Yamucha. "You don't like him." She accused softly.

"What?" Yamucha looked like he had been jarred from a train of thought and he looked up at her. "No, I mean… it's not that." He said, folding his arms. "He seems like a good kid, and if he is Chi-Chi's son then he can't be all bad." He said, as Gohan sprinted past them again. "I'm just not sure if we should give him full amnesty yet."

"Amnesty?" Videl smirked, one eyebrow raising. "What does that mean?"

"I mean, we can't just trust him blindly. Who knows what Freeza's done to him all these years? I mean, for all we know, he could have been brainwashed and will be set off by a random trigger word." Yamucha said, looking up at him.

"Uh huh, sure." Videl nodded. "Are you sure this isn't about Bulma?"

Yamucha sighed and leaned back up against the crate. "I can't blame him for that, so no. It's not about Bulma. Besides, it's like Kuririn said, it can't be as simple as it seems. She's been gone for years, after all. Who knows what's happened?" He shrugged his shoulders. "What rubs me the wrong way about him, is what he did to you."

"What he did to me?" Videl frowned, leaning onto her knees. "What are you talking about?"

"He's attacked you twice now."

"Well yeah, but both times he was scared and panicked. He wasn't trying to hurt me."

"But he could have."

Videl looked down at Gohan who was carrying two more crates up over his head, like Atlas and watched him make his way up the ramp. "Alright, I'll give you that." She said quietly. "But I'm alright now. And he's not going to do it again."

Yamucha nodded. "No, he won't. If he knows what's good for him."

"Yep." Videl said, hugging him from behind. "You can have free reign if I ever get hurt." She laughed, a little before sliding off the crate to her feet. She looked back over at the Saiyan boy who was trying to balance the crates as best he could, and she smiled a little bit. She didn't think it would come to that. Gohan seemed like a nice guy. Suddenly she realized he was about to step in the exact same oil puddle she had landed in earlier and she gasped reaching forwards. "Gohan, watch out!"

Too late. The Saiyan boy fell backwards with a startled cry, landing on his back, with two heavy wooden crates laying on top of him. She winced at the noise and looked up, frowning. A few seconds past before she heard Gohan's muffled voice from underneath the two boxes that had him buried. "I'm okay!"

* * *

><p>Gohan winced a little bit as Videl applied more ice to the large bruise on his forehead. "It's fine, really." He insisted quietly, reaching up to take the ice bag from her and hold it in place himself. He looked up at her and smiled a little bit. "Believe me, I've taken worse hits to the head than this."<p>

"Somehow that doesn't surprise me." She said, leaning back and putting her hands on her hips. She sat down across from him and Gohan laughed a little bit, even though it had been a joke at his expense he didn't mind it terribly much. He remembered his uncle demanding to know how many shocks to the head his father had taken as a child, and smiled a bit at the memory. His uncle hadn't exactly been a very kind individual, but he had come all the way to Earth just to save the life of his brother. It had certainly given him a few points in Gohan's book. He looked up at Videl who was just sitting there, staring at him. She looked like there was something on her mind, but then again he couldn't really be sure. He didn't have an awful lot of history with women.

"Is something wrong?" He asked, removing the ice bag and prodding the bruise tenderly. The swelling had gone down at least.

"How did you do it?"

"Do what? Slip and fall and bash my head on crates full of engine parts? With great skill and finesse." He joked a little bit, smiling at her.

"No, not that." She shook her head. "That thing you did on top of the ship. You blew a whole in that fleet, and I want to know how."

"I used my Ki." Gohan answered blankly. He wasn't sure what she meant.

"I know that, but how?"

"What do you mean, how?"

"I mean…" Videl said, biting down on her lip. "I've seen Tien and Yamucha do things like that before. Kuririn too." She said, leaning back onto her hands. "Heck, even 17 and 18 can do it, and I want to learn too."

"You don't know how to use your Ki?"

"What IS Ki?"

Gohan opened his mouth to answer, but then realized he was drawing an alarming blank on the subject. What was Ki? He wasn't sure how to answer that. "Ki is…" He started, picking the ice bag up again. "Well, you see it's um…" He scratched his head a little bit and finally realized no one had ever explained to him what Ki was. He looked up at her and frowned. "You know, I don't really know WHAT it is. I mean, I guess it's like your… energy, if that makes sense." He raised both his hands and summoned his Ki to his fingertips. A small glowing orb appeared in his hands and he manipulated it expertly. Videl leaned in closer to look at the glowing ball of light that Gohan held in his hands, and he looked down at it. "Everyone has it. The trick is learning to control it."

"How do you do that?"

"Well first…" Gohan was drawing another blank. He had no idea whatsoever. Now that it was second nature to him, he didn't even have to think about controlling it, it just came naturally to him. He looked up at her and frowned. "I guess it just takes practice."

"Show me."

"What?"

"I want you to teach me how to control it. I want to learn."

"Well… um…" Gohan rubbed the back of his head. "Okay, I guess." He said, quietly. He had no idea how to go about teaching something like this. He had given his little brother a few lessons on Ki, but he had never needed to explain how to control Ki or even what Ki was. Goten just seemed to understand and pick up on it more naturally than Gohan had when he had been learning. He looked up at Videl who was staring at him rather expectantly. He wasn't quite sure what to do or even what to say. "I don't know how to teach it, really, but I can try."

Videl folded her arms. "Well teach me the same way you learned."

"I can't."

"Why not?"

"Because when I was learning, in order to show me what Ki was, my teacher threw me at a mountain."

It was dead silent in the room for what seemed like an eternity before Videl spoke up. "Threw you at a mountain?"

"Well, I mean… I wasn't hurt or anything." He said, looking from side to side. "Ki has a way of manifesting itself when you're under physical duress. I was a bit of a crybaby and kept insisting I couldn't do it, so he threw me at a mountain. The mountain actually came out worse for wear than I did."

The silence that followed was almost overwhelming, and Gohan wasn't quite sure what to make of it. And then, with no warning, Videl stood up, and brushed herself off and walked to the door. "Come on." She said, pulling it open. The door made a rusty squeaking noise that made Gohan wince. He pulled himself up, nonetheless and looked over at her as she stood in the doorway.

"Come on, where?" He asked, tilting his head to the side.

"We're going to go find a mountain."

* * *

><p>The rest of the crew sat in the bridge of the new ship, mostly in silence. The only sounds that were made were the sounds of metal scraping up against metal, and the occasion electrical whirr that made promises of progress in making the consoles work, but never really went anywhere. The ship they had been given could only be called a piece of junk. In fact that had been 17's idea of what to name it. However, Tienshinhan had been the first to shoot that idea down. The ship didn't even appear to be that old, it simply looked like it had spent three years in a place that regularly rotated between heavy rain, sandstorms and blizzards. The outside was sloppily covered with a coat of red pain, which was cracked and peeled. The metal underneath appeared rusted and less than sturdy, and there were actually several places with huge gaping holes in them. This particular ship was going to take more maintenance than it had cost to buy it.<p>

As the majority of the crew kept working, the door, which had needed to be pried open with a crowbar, opened with a heavy thumping noise. Yamucha walked in and looked around and coughed at the heavy clouds of dust that had been propelled into the air by the simple act of walking through the room. "Well, it's a good think we didn't pay too much for it…" He spoke up, coughing between words. "Everything has been loaded on board, despite a few mishaps." He said, sitting down in one of the old dilapidated chairs.

"Good, maybe when 17 gets back from the engine room we can start piecing something together that will get this boat in the air." Tienshinhan said, folding his arms over his chest. "Till then we'll have to work on getting some more metal plating for the outside of it. There's bound to be a vendor, somewhere in this place."

"Probably." Kuririn added, flipping a few more switches before returning to the panels full of wires. "This is going to take an awful lot of work, Tienshinhan."

"Well we don't have any other choice." Tienshinhan shook his head. "Every single ship in Freeza's army is going to be gunning for an Earth transport ship. This will keep us under the radar a while longer until we figure out what to do."

"What are we going to do?" Yamucha asked, leaning back in the chair and resting his chin in his palm.

"We're going to save Chi-Chi and Bulma."

"Sorry, I should have asked how."

"That's the part we're going to have to work on."

"Hey, come on." Kuririn said, pulling up a wire and clipping it off. "We'll figure something out. I mean, you saw what Gohan did to that fleet. With a fighter like that on our side, the odds are slightly more even."

"That's true. But Gohan is still on probation until we can be absolutely sure he can be trusted."

Before the conversation could continue any further, the door opened again sending more clouds of dust spiraling into the air. 17 walked through, smoothing his hair down, and looking awfully disheveled. "Well, I found out one of the problems with the engine." He said, brushing himself off. "Something small, furry and vicious was nesting in it."

"Did you get rid of it?" Tienshinhan asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Define 'rid'."

"Great. That's one more thing we'll have to deal with, then."

17 flopped into one of the chairs, and looked extremely disappointed when he found that it wasn't a swivel chair. "So what were we talking about?"

"Gohan." Yamucha said, looking over at him. "And if we can trust him completely or not."

"I think so." 17 said, leaning back, and stretching his legs out onto one of the many cracked and broken consoles.

"Do you really?" Kuririn asked, looking over in shock.

"Sure." 17 folded his hands behind his head lazily. "I mean, if he were going to kill us all he'd have done it by now. He's a strong kid. And honestly, we might not be a match for him. Well, I mean…. We might be." He said gesturing to his sister. "But you guys definitely wouldn't."

"Thanks." Yamucha said, slumping further into his seat. "As backhanded as that was, I think I agree with it. He seems like a good kid, and he hasn't hurt anyone yet, even though he did threaten Videl…" The thought seemed to stick out in his mind. "But, I think he's doing alright to prove himself. I mean he did knock a hole in Freeza's fleet. That's got to count for something."

"It does." Tienshinhan looked out the window, and frowned. "He honestly wasn't expecting us to pull him back in, and he really did try to save our lives."

"Well he seems like a good kid, anyhow." Kuririn said, leaning back. "And I don't think he'd ever do anything to hurt any of us."

Just as he said that, Gohan and Videl passed by the room, Videl leading the charge and Gohan running after her. "This is a terrible idea, Videl!" He called. "I'm not going to throw you at a mountain!"

The room was silent as the two disappeared down the hall. All eyes turned back to Kuririn who was just staring at the door way where the two had passed a few minutes ago. He shook his head and looked up at the rest of the crew. "Well I said 'seems' didn't I?"


	8. Fear is the Foundation of Safety

"_Gohan… Gohan, wake up."_

_Gohan's eyes opened slowly and he looked up at his father who was standing over him. He blinked and reached up to rub his eyes as he sat up in the bed that was a bit too large for him. "What's the matter, dad? Are we there?" _

"_Yeah, we're here, runt." A gruff voice said from the corner. Gohan looked over and grabbed onto his father's arm to slide off the bed. It was almost as tall as his tiny five-year-old frame, and it had taken some climbing skill to get up onto it. His bare feet hit the ground as he looked over to the door, where his uncle stood, leaning up against the doorway. _

"_Good morning, uncle." _

_The man snorted and turned away. "Hurry up, we need to meet with the others." And with that he was gone. Gohan looked up at his father who just smiled down at him and ruffled his hair. _

"_Don't worry, Gohan. He'll warm up to us eventually. We're his family, after all." He took Gohan's hand and followed after his brother. Gohan clung to his father's side, staring quietly down at the floor. He hadn't liked the idea of leaving his mother back on earth, and shipping out into space with a strange alien who called himself his uncle, but he trusted his father and if his father said it would make them and her safer he'd go along with it. What his uncle had said about the strange alien who was hunting down their kind, a race called Saiyans apparently, it had made him nervous to say the least. Though his father didn't seem that affected by it, and remained as chipper and happy as ever. Raditz had taken them on board a strange craft, and told them that it would induce sleep until they arrived. It hadn't felt like a few months to Gohan. It felt like an instant, like he had only barely closed his eyes a few seconds ago. He didn't like the feeling of it. _

_Raditz lead them down the hall of the craft to the door, which opened on it's own. The door lead to outside of the ship and was right in front of a small, very small, camp. Gohan clung to the doorframe as his father jumped down onto the dirt, and held his arms up for Gohan to jump down into them. Gohan obliged and as his father set him down on the ground, Gohan noticed several people emerging from tents. They all looked battered and beaten, and down right exhausted and it brought memories of plague pictures he had seen in his textbooks to his mind. Goku gave his son's hand a squeeze and they followed Raditz towards the camp. _

"_We're only staying here temporarily." His uncle explained. "Until we've healed and are strong enough to start moving again." _

"_And then?" Goku asked, patting Gohan on the side of the head as his son moved closer to his leg. _

"_And then we move, and we keep moving until we figure out how to deal with Freeza." _

_For some reason the name provoked a shiver from Gohan and he looked around the small camp. It wasn't any place he wanted to call home, even if it was only for a little while. It was dirty, and smelled like something had been rotting there for a very long time. He clung to his father's side and looked up at his uncle, who was scowling down at him, as if he had some deep-seated disappointment for the five year old. It just made Gohan feel more alone, and more afraid. _

* * *

><p>Gohan stared up at the ceiling, before blinking a few times and realizing he wasn't asleep or dreaming any longer. He sat up, and looked around him. He was still on the ship, and he was still a fugitive. He looked down at the shining metal cuffs on his wrists and tapped one. It made a soft ticking noise against his fingernail, and he looked past the cuffs at the sheets he was gripping to. He flopped backwards onto his pillow and stared back at the ceiling.<p>

He had narrowly avoided being dragged out to the middle of nowhere to throw Videl at a mountain. He had managed to talk her out of it, saying it was a bad idea and not just because he could kill her by throwing her at a mountain, but because the planet could kill them both if they went too far one way or too far in the other. All in all not a very good location for throwing of persons. He had promised her instead, that he would help her learn how to control her Ki in a safer environment that wasn't liable to get them both killed. The rest of the crew would be busy replacing the siding on the ship and so he would have the whole day to figure out how to go about finding a way to teach Videl.

He turned his head a bit to look at the door as he heard a soft knock. He sighed and sat up, stretching his arms over his head. "Come in."

The door opened and Videl walked in, putting her hands on her hips. "Were you just going to sleep all day, Gohan?"

"The thought occurred to me."

"Come on, you promised to teach me today."

Gohan didn't want to teach anyone anything. Not today. Today he just wanted to curl up in a ball under the covers and pretend that nothing else existed. Any day that started with a dream like he had just had wasn't going to be a very good one. He looked over at Videl and sighed, realizing she wasn't going to be deterred.

"Alright, alright." He sighed, swinging his legs over the bed. "I guess… we'll just practice, and figure it out as we go."

"Well how did you learn what Ki was? I mean, before your teacher threw you at a mountain."

"I don't really know." Gohan admitted. "It just sort of came to me. Like an epiphany." He said, letting his chin slide into his hand.

"Well maybe I'll get an epiphany." She said, sitting down across from him. "So where should we start?"

Gohan didn't have the slightest idea. He sighed and moved a little closer to Videl. "Well, um… maybe…" He shook his head. "You know, I don't really know." He sighed and shook his head. "Here, I guess it would be easiest if you could get a feel for it." He said, holding his hands together and summoning a ball of Ki to his fingers and manipulating it about.

"I can't do that."

"No, I know." Gohan said, shifting the Ki to one hand and held his other one out to her. "Here, give me your hands."

Videl held her hands out, and Gohan extended both his hands and the ball of Ki out to her. She reached forwards, lowering her fingers like she was about to touch a glass orb, and Gohan caught her before her hands could connect.

"Not like that, you'll burn yourself. Think of it as a flame. A very dangerous high powered radioactive flame."

"Well that's frightening."

"It'll help you be careful with it." He said. "Now move your fingers up underneath it. It'll help you get a grip on it… carefully."

Videl reached both her hands out and slowly moved them underneath the fluttering ball of Ki. She lifted it up as if she were trying not to jostle as sleeping hamster, rather than a dangerous ball of potential death. She cradled it deftly in her hands and looked up at Gohan and smiled. "… I have this in me too?"

"Everyone does."

"That's.. a scary thought." She said, looking at it carefully. "I mean… it feels so powerful."

"Well I don't know how powerful everyone else's Ki is, but that's mine." Gohan said, reaching over and plucking the Ki up and manipulating it through his fingers before it dissipated.

"Well, if I get used to handling yours think how easy it will be to handle mine."

"Well, that's true."

"Okay." Videl nodded. "So, all I have to do is find that sort of feeling inside myself?"

"Uh, I guess so?" Gohan laughed, rubbing the back of his head. "I mean, it's like I said. I don't know how to explain it."

"Alright, well, we'll try it this way then."

Videl folded her hands and screwed her eyes shut, and looked like she was concentrating quite a bit. Gohan watched and tilted his head a little bit as she worked. He could feel the Ki inside her, and it was strong, but sorely untapped. It was undeveloped like most people. After all, Videl was from Earth, and using Ki didn't seem to be all that big a practice there. The fact that the rest of the crew knew how to do it was amazing enough, and he wondered how they had learned and why she wasn't asking them.

"Ahem."

Both teens looked up at Tienshinhan who was standing at the door.

"Breakfast is ready."

* * *

><p>Zarbon sat in the captain's chair, tapping his fingers up and down on the armrest. It had taken far too long to repair the damage done to his fleet, and he was very unhappy. He had honestly not been expecting the little brat to destroy half his army, and it was a setback that he was surprised had not cost him his life. He sighed and buried his face into his hand. He saw a light flick on the armrest next to him and he sighed, pressing the button that lay next to it. Freeza's face appeared on the screen before him, and Zarbon sat up and tried his best to look professional.<p>

"Well, Zarbon? Any luck?"

"I'm afraid not, Lord Freeza. We lost track of them in the Gliese System."

"The Gliese system?" Freeza asked, looking slightly amused. "That hellish place?" He laughed. "Perhaps they think we'll be too frightened to look for them there."

"They could have moved on as well. I have scouts exploring both options, Lord Freeza. I swear on my life I will find him." Zarbon growled, clenching his fists.

"Well I hope so, Zarbon. I do hope it doesn't prove to be too much for you."

"Never, sir." Zarbon said, looking up.

Freeza spun a wineglass in his hands. "I'm changing the status of his capture, by the way." He said nonchalantly. "Alive is now optional."

Zarbon's lips twitched upwards in a smile. "Oh is it now?"

"Don't get too excited, Zarbon. Alive is still preferred. Deadly force is only permitted if absolutely necessary."

Still, that hardly mattered at all. If someone was wanted dead or alive then you were most likely going to retrieve him dead. Zarbon was itching to pay the brat back for the humiliation he had endured, and the boy was doubtfully going to come out of the ordeal alive.

"I understand, Lord Freeza" Zarbon bowed his head and the transmission ended. He tapped the side of his chair, a grin spreading across his face. His day had just gotten much better.

* * *

><p><em>They had been in the camp for four days. The tent he shared with his father was full of holes and dust. The weather was freezing at night and Gohan had thought more than once he was going to freeze to death if he fell asleep. Three out of four of his nights had therefore been sleepless. His father had tried to coax him to sleep, but Gohan remained adamant, saying that sleeping in freezing conditions was a certain way to get yourself killed. The food that they managed to scrounge up was poor at best, and came in very small quantities. Scarce food among hungry Saiyans led to high tempers, low morale and irritability on a massive scale. Like everyone else in their makeshift camp, Gohan was tired, cold and hungry. <em>

_He wrapped the thin and dirty blanket around his shoulders and stared into the fire that his father had built. His father sat next to him, an arm wrapped around his shoulder, in a comforting gesture. Gohan was beyond comforting however. He leaned up against his father and closed his eyes. Even his father's normally warm body was as cold as death and Gohan could find no comfort in it like he normally could. Still, it did feel nice, to have his father there with him, trying his hardest to keep him safe and warm and happy. His father's attempts were not lost on him, even if they didn't do much. _

_The quiet remained for what felt like hours, before it was shattered by a deafening bang. Gohan lurched forwards, nearly tumbling head first into the fire. Goku caught him and picked him up, standing up and turning towards the noise. Gohan stared in horror as an explosion rocketed through the southern half of the camp, engulfing it in flames and smoke. Goku set his son down on the ground, and Gohan held onto his leg, hiding behind him. _

_He saw his uncle run up behind him as his father turned. "What happened?" _

"_We've been found." _

"_Found?" _

"_Look at all these monkeys." The voice made Gohan's hair stand on end and he looked over in terror at the short statured man standing in the flames. "Living in absolute squalor," the man said, shaking his head, walking forwards into view. "What a terribly sight." _

"_Freeza!" Uncle Raditz screamed, taking a step forwards. "How dare you!" _

_Gohan stared wide-eyed at the horrifying figure getting closer. The Ki he felt from the man was enormous, terrifying and absolutely undeniably _evil._ He hid his face behind his father's leg, before peeking out again at the carnage that engulfed the rest of the camp. Saiyans around them were either fleeing, crawling away, barely able to stand or even breath, or fighting back the army that had followed Freeza. Gohan looked up at his father and uncle who were both standing there, shaking with anger and horror. Gohan had never seen his father not know what to do before, and it terrified him. _

"_You'll pay for this, Freeza!" Raditz yelled, summoning a ball of yellow Ki to his hands. _

"_Raditz, no!" Goku yelled, reaching towards his brother. But it was too late. Freeza raised a finger and a single beam shot forward, piercing Raditz' heart. It only took a second. _

_His uncle seemed to stand there forever to Gohan, looking shocked and horrified. Finally, after what seemed like hours, Raditz fell backwards landing on a rock next to Gohan, blood shooting from his chest and splattering on Gohan's face. And Gohan could only watch. He could only stare at his uncle's cold and lifeless body as his father turned around and wrapped him up in his arms. His eyes wouldn't leave the gaping hole in his uncle's chest as he was lifted off the ground and held tightly to his father's chest. He barely registered the following events, and the only thing his innocent five year old brain could register was the sinister icy voice from behind him. _

"_Don't worry, little monkey. I'm not going to kill _you. _But I'm sure you'll wish I had." _


	9. Love: A Temporary Insanity

The metallic grinding of the chains rubbing up against one another held a certain amount of satisfaction to Vegeta. The shine that the fetters held was muted only by the blood that stained them. The chains that connected his wrists cut deeper into the neck of some strange nameless feral alien that had charged him too quickly. The thing was gasping and clawing at the air pathetically and Vegeta sneered wrapping the links of metal around his fingers and pulling them tighter. He always enjoyed killing his opponents with his shackles. Turning one's symbol of imprisonment into a weapon was poetic justice in his mind. Finally, the thing stopped moving, and collapsed limply against the floor. Vegeta knew better than that. It was only out cold, and that simply wouldn't do. He tightened the chains with one hand, cutting them deeper into the alien's skin, and with his other her aimed two fingers into the thing's neck and sent a blast of Ki through the scaly flesh. The head was severed and it bounced onto the ground as Vegeta's chains went slack. He licked some of the blood off his glove, and smiled appreciatively. It was good therapy to be able to kill something on days like this.

"Vegeta, that wasn't necessary. He was already out cold."

Vegeta rolled his eyes at the voice that drifted in from his left. "Kakarot, shut up." He said, straightening himself and turning around. "It was a merciful death. He didn't even feel anything. Apart from the suffocation." Vegeta flicked a speck of blood off his cheek. "Besides, he'd have died by one of our hands eventually. Why drag it out?"

"I just don't like all this senseless killing I guess. I mean, they never did anything to us."

"They were trying to _eat_ us, you moron."

"Well true, but that's no reason to kill someone."

"By god, Kakarot, it isn't? What must warrant killing in your book? Genocide and kicking a small furry creature?"

"There's nothing wrong with valuing life, Vegeta." Goku folded his arms, and huffed, turning his head.

Vegeta shook his head. "You're not a Saiyan, you're a woman." He said, putting his hands on his hips. "Afraid to get your hands dirty." The door opened, and Vegeta peered over, not bothering to turn his head. "Speaking of dirty, and women." He muttered. "To what do we owe the pleasure, Freeza?"

"Just checking on my favorite monkey's progress." Freeza said, leaning back in his chair. There was a small squadron of guards standing next to him, and Vegeta sneered as Goku giggled, as if there were anything funny about the situation.

"Is there a reason for the guards?" Vegeta asked, tilting his head. "Surely you're enough to keep us in line?" He said smirking. "Or are we getting too strong? Making you nervous?"

"Oh please, Vegeta, nothing like that. You don't have to worry about making me nervous, my little monkey prince. No, no, I just don't like grunt work." Freeza said, waving his hand.

Vegeta swatted Goku's hand away as he reached forward. "Stay calm, Vegeta."

"Shut up." Vegeta snarled. "What are you really doing here, Freeza? As you can see, we're very busy."

"Yes, well your carnage can wait, Vegeta. I'm sure your friend will leave you something to eat."

"Yuck." Goku looked down at the dead aliens that littered the floor. "I'm not usually a picky eater but…"

"Don't respond to Freeza's taunts, Kakarot, it just makes you look more stupid than we already suspect you are." Vegeta sighed. Goku looked a bit put off by this, but Vegeta ignored it. He was more focused on what the tyrant was doing there, bothering him during his therapy of murdering rampaging lizards.

"All joking aside, I have a serious favor to ask of you." Freeza inspected his nails some more and Vegeta began to tap his foot.

"A favor? Oh pray tell."

"I want you to revisit your relationship with that Earth woman. I'm in need of a replacement for SG002."

"Oh yes, I heard from my son that Gohan was… lost." Vegeta smirked. "Well I'm not sure if I can help you with that, Freeza. Why not ask Kakarot and his mate?"

"I thought of that, but it's not really fair to ask her to bear anymore than she has is it?"

Vegeta looked back at Goku who was suddenly looking very serious. He knew it wasn't very often they were given a chance to see either woman, and so this was a rather rare opportunity he was being presented with. He folded his arms and looked back at the overlord. "I'll see what I can do, but I can't make any promises on the subject." He said, picking at the fabric of his gloves. "She's a difficult woman."

"Oh really? Well that was easier than I expected. You're no fun, Vegeta, at leas the women gave me a reaction."

"I'm not sure what you were hoping for." Vegeta lied smoothly. He looked back at Goku who walked up behind him. "Anything you want me to tell your woman?"

"Just let her know we're alright down here." Goku nodded.

Vegeta shrugged his shoulders and walked over towards Freeza. Two guards flanked him and he rolled his eyes. "Is this necessary?"

"I told you I hate grunt work." Freeza said as the chair turned around and began to hover down the hall. Vegeta followed closely, staring at the ground in contemplation. It was difficult to tell what Freeza's game was most of the time. He wasn't sure why he was allowed to be the one to raise his son, he wasn't sure why Freeza allowed to see the woman he had very slowly built a… well a normal person would call it a relationship, Vegeta called it a bond. The point was he had _something_ with her, and Freeza knew it and let him see her anyways. Was he trying to get Vegeta to care about her, so it would hurt more when he killed her? Yes, that seemed likely. And yet, unlikely at the same time. It must be hell inside Freeza's head.

"So does Kakarot get the honor of seeing his mate?" Vegeta asked, smirking.

"Perhaps, if I'm feeling generous."

Vegeta snorted as they continued down the hall towards an elevator. Freeza was the first inside and the rest of the guards piled in after, and Vegeta was shoved on last, squeezed in the front. It was a humiliating ride up the elevator shaft, and once they reached their destination, Vegeta could hardly be more relieved. The door opened, Vegeta tumbled out, the door closed and he was left standing there trying to regain his composure.

"Vegeta?"

Vegeta looked up at the two women staring at him. He straightened himself out, and cracked his neck. Bulma and Chi-Chi were both sitting at the table provided to them, obviously they had been talking about something or another when Vegeta had come in. "Good to see you're both still living so comfortably." He said, walking into the room.

Chi-Chi stood up, and looked between Bulma and Vegeta before folding her arms. "I'll leave the two of you alone a while." She then turned and walked into an adjoining room, and closed the door. Vegeta watched her leave and then turned to the blue haired woman who was still staring at him.

"Long time no see, Bulma."

"A few months." Bulma said, standing up and walking over to him, finally. "How have you been?"

"The same. The boy is doing fine, before you ask. Freeza hasn't polluted him yet." Vegeta folded his arms, looking away.

"Good." Bulma looked down at the ground. "So… is it true?"

"Is what true?"

"That Gohan is dead?"

"The boy?" Vegeta arched an eyebrow. "Last I heard of him, he escaped."

"What?" Chi-Chi suddenly pushed the door open and ran into the room, grabbing Vegeta by the shoulders. "He escaped? When? How? He's alive!"

"Get off me!" Vegeta backed away trying to shove the woman off him, while Bulma covered her eyes, and lowered her head.

"Thanks for the privacy, Chi."

"Look, I don't know." Vegeta said, giving Chi-Chi a final shove. "The kid escaped during transport and we haven't heard anything since. I doubt he's died so quickly."

Chi-Chi collapsed into a chair, breathing heavily, and smiled, leaning back. "Gohan's alive then… I knew it. Thank god."

Bulma put her hands on Vegeta's shoulders. "Chi give us a second, okay?" She steered him into the room that Chi-Chi had been occupying a few moments before, and closed the door. "You're not just saying that, are you?"

"I wouldn't lie to protect someone's feelings, you know me better than that."

"True."

Vegeta sat down on the bed in the middle of the room, and looked around. "I'm not sure why it is you get such nice living conditions."

"I'm not even sure why we're still alive. Every day is a miracle." Bulma sat next to him and looked up. "I don't think anyone knows what's going on inside Freeza's head."

"He sent me up here to make a replacement for Gohan, you know."

"I figured. He talked about that, when he told us Gohan was dead."

"I don't plan on having anymore children."

"I know."

"I didn't even want Trunks."

"I know." Bulma looked down at the ground. "I didn't want a child either. Not under these conditions." She shook her head, and sighed looking up at the ceiling. "But he's okay?"

"As okay as he can be. I already told you. I wasn't cut out to be a father."

Bulma put a hand on his arm and leaned her head onto his shoulder. "I'm sure you're doing just fine, Vegeta."

Silence followed, and Vegeta was glad for it. There was something… nice, about just being close to Bulma, though he'd never say it outright. And he knew this wasn't easy on her, either. The two sat quietly in the dark of the room, not moving. Vegeta made no attempt to brush her off him and she made no attempt to move away, and it felt nice. Until she spoke up and ruined it all.

"I want to get married, Vegeta."

"You want to what?"

"Get married."

"What the hell is that?" Vegeta looked down at her confused.

"It's an earth tradition. Goku and Chi-Chi are married. I want to get married." Bulma said, sitting up, looking over at him, determination clear as day in her eyes.

Vegeta rolled his eyes. Earth had some strange traditions he had never bothered to look into or ask Kakarot about. He wasn't sure what the hell married was, but he had a feeling Bulma wasn't going to drop it. "Fine, we're married then."

"No, Vegeta, you can't just say we're married." She said frowning. "It's a ceremony."

"A ceremony?" Vegeta raised an eyebrow. .

"Yes." Bulma nodded.

Vegeta sighed and rubbed his temple with one of his hands. Bulma reached over and took his hand and pulled it away holding it in hers. She looked so sincere, and so serious, it made him a little nervous. He swallowed heavily and leaned back away from her. "What?"

"Well?"

"Well what?"

"Well will you marry me, Vegeta?"

Vegeta rolled his eyes again. Humans were always a bit on the strange side to him, but this was just ridiculous. He still had no idea what this whole married thing was, but he knew Bulma wasn't going to let him go if he insisted on not partaking in ridiculous earth traditions. Besides, if Kakarot had been married with that harpy in the next room, then surely he could do it too. Goku never seemed to act much differently with Chi-Chi than he did with Bulma. But then that brought up the point of if there was no difference between how they were acting now, why did she want to get married? And what the hell WAS married? "Fine, we'll get married."

"Really?" Bulma gasped, covering her mouth with her hand.

"I just said so, didn't I?"

Bulma made a noise that Vegeta could only describe as squealing, and reached forwards, and tackled him backwards onto the bed, hugging him around the neck. She kissed him and hugged him, all interspersed with cries of: "Thank you! Thank you, Vegeta!"

Vegeta smiled a little and allowed it. If making her this happy was THIS easy he would have done it months ago. Now she was bound to not bother him with trivial and depressing things for at least the next three visits.

* * *

><p>"Kakarot I need to ask you a question."<p>

Goku looked over at Vegeta who had come back to the cell later than he had. He had been playing with the boys when Vegeta had come in and spoken up rather roughly, and he stood up, setting Goten down who instantly went back to playing some game or another with Trunks. He looked over at the prince and folded his arms.

"Sure, Vegeta, what's up?"

"I need you to explain to me what married is."

Goku halted. He didn't breath, he didn't move, and his face went pale for a moment. "Married?" He asked, tilting his head. That was the very last thing he had been expecting Vegeta to say. Vegeta could have come in and renounced the joy he got out of killing things, and proclaimed his middle name to be 'Daisy' and Goku would not have been as shocked as he was right now.

"Yes, Married." Vegeta snapped, tapping his foot. "What is it?"

"Why are you asking?"

"Because Bulma wouldn't stop talking about it." Vegeta said, rolling his eyes. "She kept saying she wanted to get married. So what is married and where do I get it?"

Goku was stunned. "You told Bulma you'd get married?"

"Yes, Kakarot, now stop standing there like a slack jawed idiot, and answer me!"

Goku could only stand there for a few moments, before he broke out into an enormous grin and ran forwards and hugged Vegeta. The prince nearly blew his head off, but he didn't care. He backed up. "Congratulations, Vegeta! I can't believe you and Bulma are engaged!"

"Engaged? What are you talking about, she said she wanted to get married!"

"Exactly!"

"So what is married?" Vegeta howled, and Goku could practically feel the prince losing patience with him. The kids had stopped playing and were watching the adults as Goku started to laughed.

"Married is when you take someone as your wife."

"Wife?"

"Yeah, you know." Goku nodded. "When you marry someone, you make a promise to that person. To have and to hold, for better or worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and health, to love and to cherish till death do you part."

"What?"

"Basically, you're making the commitment to be with that person till you die."

"So." Vegeta folded his arms. "The woman is promising to be mine till the day she dies? Not a bad promise."

"And you would have to be hers."

"Pardon?"

"It's a mutual promise, Vegeta." Goku said, meshing his fingers together. "She promises to be yours forever, and you promise to be hers forever."

Vegeta paled. "Forever."

"Till the day you die."

"And I've already agreed to this?"

"What's the matter with you, Vegeta? Don't you love her?" Goku was honestly very confused.

"That isn't the issue here Kakarot! I usually like knowing the fine print of a deal before I sign a contract!"

"Well you don't have to marry her, Vegeta."

"She thinks I've already agreed! You know her, you know how difficult she can be!" Vegeta sat down on the floor and Trunks walked over and sat next to him. The boy clearly didn't know what was going on, but seeing his father so distressed had prompted him to attempt to give some form of comfort.

"Well then marry her." Goku shrugged. "I mean you don't want to see her with anyone else, do you?"

"Of course not. That woman is mine, we made that clear when this one was conceived." Vegeta said, motioning to Trunks.

"So then all you have to do is not go after any other women and be with her like she is with you."

Vegeta sighed and leaned his head back rubbing his forehead. "I suppose I have no choice… I'll have to make the woman my mate."

"Wife."

"Same thing."

"Not really."

"Shut up."


	10. Who Questions Much, Shall Learn Much

"Hey, Trunks?"

"Yeah Goten?"

"Your dad said he was gonna marry your mom, right?"

"Right."

"And married is when you make a promise to be with that person forever, right?"

"Right."

"So when you get married…" Goten frowned, "All you have to do, is promise to care about that person, and be there for that person no matter what… right?"

"Right." Trunks grunted. "That's what your dad said."

"Do you wanna get married, Trunks?"

"What?"

Goten looked contemplative, and looked up at Trunks. "I mean, we're best friends, and we always will be, and if getting married means we'll be there for each other no matter what, then we should get married."

"I don't think that's how it works, Goten."

"Really?"

"I think you get married when you _love_ love someone. The way our dads love our moms." Trunks looked down at his best friend. "My dad said it was the same thing as having a mate."

"Oh." Goten looked dejected.

"But we can make that promise anyways."

"Really?"

"Sure. We just won't be married." Trunks turned around as best he could and held his hand out to Goten. "I promise to be there for you, no matter what."

Goten grinned wider than he ever had and reached up, grabbing onto Trunks' hand and shaking it briefly. "I promise too."

Trunks smiled and turned back around and continued climbing up the vertical scale of rock that they had been placed next to. Goten smiled after him and grabbed onto another handhold, and pulled himself up after Trunks. He looked down below them, and frowned reaching up to grab another handhold.

"Hey, Trunks?"

"Yeah, Goten?"

"Why do you think they call it magma?"

* * *

><p>Videl folded her hands around the warm tin mug and leaned up against the wall, of the ship. It was looking much better than before. She had spent the last few days scrubbing it inside and out, and cleaning out the abundance of wildlife that had made their nests in the nooks and crannies, and now all it needed were some working appliances and a fresh coat of paint. She was watching Gohan work on the wiring in one of the consoles while Kuririn pushed buttons and coached him, offering advice where he could give it. She sighed and leaned backwards, looking up at the ceiling of the hallway she stood in.<p>

"I still don't like this ship."

"You'll warm up to her." Tienshinhan said, stepping down the stairs onto the walkway. "She'll be sky worthy in no time."

" I guess so. I like our ship better."

"Well, we'll see her again."

"I hope so."

Tienshinhan followed her gaze and looked over at Gohan who had his finger in his mouth, nursing a fresh burn from an electric shock. He looked back over at Videl, and smiled a little bit. "You like him."

"What?" Videl looked up sharply. "No! That's not it! I'm just… interested. I mean, he's a Saiyan. We thought they were all dead and now there's one flying with us. It's kind of cool, isn't it?"

"Cool?"

"Sure." Videl looked back at Gohan. "I mean, we could probably learn a lot."

"Mmm, I'm sure."

"Stop it." Videl nudged him with her elbow. "None of you like him? At all?"

"17 likes him." Tienshinhan shrugged.

"17 likes anyone he outranks." Videl said, flattening her eyebrows. "What about you? What do you think about him?"

"I think he's dangerous." Tienshinhan folded his arms. "He's a good kid to be sure, and he seems regained a bit more of my trust, but it doesn't change the fact that he could kill us all within seconds if he wanted to. All that power is bound to make anyone a mite jumpy."

"I think that's the reason Freeza kept them." Videl frowned looking back over at Gohan. "It'd be a perfect weapon, and he wouldn't even need to use it that often. A show here, a show there, and everyone falls into line, too intimidated to speak out."

"And we can't forget he's got four more of them. He probably plans on turning them all into powerhouses."

Videl looked at the ground. "Freeza's had him since he was five…" She shook her head. "Tien, can you imagine?"

"I can't." Tienshinhan leaned against the wall with her.

"He has nightmares." Videl said, quietly turning her finger over the rim of the tin cup. "I've heard him while he sleeps, he's always calling out for someone."

"Who?"

"I don't know. It sounds different each time."

"You should ask him about it."

"Huh?"

"He might feel better if he talks about it with someone close to his age. And I think he trusts you more than anyone else."

Videl smiled and removed herself from the wall. "Maybe I will. I'll see what I can do, tonight." She looked up at him, and held out the mug. "I'm going to go out into town to see what I can scrounge up for dinner, will you wash this for me?"

"Yes," Tienshinhan took it from her. "Just don't go picking up any more fugitives." He said, putting a hand on her head and ruffled her hair.

Videl laughed and waved over her shoulder. She walked through the ships halls and down the ramp into the dusty air of the hangar. She stretched her hands over her head and began to walk, looking up at all the other ships who looked like they were in desperate need of some tender love and care. She bobbed and weaved past rusted and decaying engines towards the door, she pushed it open and stepped out into the bloody twilight of the Gliesian streets. All of the towns were structured in vertical lines spanning east and west, so there was no chance of them overlapping into the fatal parts of the planet. The cities circled the planet like a belt, clearly marking the only signs of life. It was a good place to hide, but then again, there were only so many places to look.

The town they were in was a small one, and they had never visited this particular one before. Their job had brought them to Gliese more than a few times, and they had always been intimidating trips. Once it had brought them there in the middle of a storm. The lack of turning of the planet meant that there were no seasons, and horrifying weather patterns. There were heavy gale winds that surged from the cold and scorching parts of the planets, and this lead to parts of the planet being trapped in permanent torrential rain. Videl had the misfortune of visiting one of those places a while back, and had never been so happy to leave in her life. It had taken her nearly a week to dry off.

The things for sale at the shops were strange at best. Heavy glass orbs that hung from fraying bits of twine, and jostled together in the wind that blew through. Tapestries made from dark threads hung limply against wooden poles and there were drums and other instruments made from the black stalks of the strange plants that littered the ground. The air stunk heavily of burning meat and alcohol that several vendors brewed right in the streets, pouring out the waste into the gutters staining it a moldy yellow. It mixed with the blood and fluids of the animals that were freshly slaughtered on the sides of the stalls, and thrown onto the grill then and there. Videl had lost her appetite.

She meandered through the streets, careful of where she put her feet, and looked through the stalls for something her crew would find edible. Though the only thing she managed to find were baskets of black plants, and eventually decided they would have to do. She wasn't about to trust the meat here, and she certainly didn't want to eat anything she had to watch be killed. She handed the zeni to the merchant and picked up the basket full of fruits, and vegetables and turned to head back to the ship.

She halted however when she caught sight of a similar silhouette of a ship. A dull white ship bathed crimson in the light of the bloody sun. One of Freeza's ships. She gulped heavily, and looked around looking for any sight of soldiers and wasn't sure whether to feel relief or horror when she saw none. There were bound to be scouts, and they certainly wouldn't be safe out in the open.

Videl took a deep breath, and looked towards the hangar where their new ship lay in wait. She would have to find a way to make it there while looking discrete and casual. She was panicking. She wasn't sure what to do and it was starting to make her jumpy. The started to walk towards the hangar, trying to appear nonchalant about it. Out of the corner of her eye she could see people dressed in white starting to crowd around the ship, and her heart began to pound against her rib cage. She picked up her paces, maneuvering her way through the crowd. She sparred a quick glace at the soldiers and she thought her heart would explode out her chest. A few lizard-looking aliens dressed in solider attire were pointing in her direction and murmuring. They slowly began to make their way towards her and Videl picked up her pace, but now she wasn't sure where she was going. She couldn't lead them back to the hangar and put everyone else in danger.

The soldiers were getting closer and with every step, Videl thought she'd drop dead from heart failure. A rough gloved hand reached out and caught her arm, and spun her around and Videl's hands spilled her cargo and dropped the basket to the grounds, her produce flying in every which direction.

"What's the hurry?" One of the soldiers asked in a gruff and dangerously low voice. Videl found that her own voice was failing her and she could only stand there, staring at them, her mouth moving up and down.

"Well?" The other folded his arms. "Where are you from, girly?"

Videl couldn't will her voice to come out her mouth, but if she was going to die, she wasn't going to die having not defended herself at all from these soldiers. She managed to calm herself down to a reasonable state and opened her mouth. "Uh…"

"Miho, there you are!"

Two hands caught her and turned her around, and she found herself face to face with Gohan. Only… he looked different. His face was covered with a scarf and his head was wrapped up in a sort of turban, and the skin around his eyes was blackened as if he had smeared oil on them, but Videl could instantly tell it was him. He put a hand on her face and smiled at her through his scarf. "You forgot your scarf, Miho." He pulled a piece of red fabric from behind him and deftly wrapped it around her head and neck. He put two hands on her shoulders and turned to look at the guards.

"You must forgive my sister." He said, putting a hand over his chest and speaking in a heavily accented voice. "She doesn't speak, poor thing." He shook his head and turned to Videl. "Why don't you gather the food, Miho?"

Videl nodded quietly, clearly dumbfounded. She bent down and gathered the food into her arms as Gohan wrapped an arm around her shoulder.

"Is there something we can help you with, officers?"

"We're looking for Earthlings." One said. "Where are you two from?"

"Where? Why we were born here!" He spoke, gesturing around him. "Our parents were from planet Duran." He said nodding. "They moved here for business. This place is such a terrible place they actually pay people to live here. We live quite comfortably though, we've grown to love this little planet, deadly as it is."

"Alright, alright pal." An officer waved him off. "No one asked for your life story, just go on your way."

"Ah, yes, of course." Gohan bowed, turning Videl around. "Good bye." He then put a hand on her shoulders and led her back into the crowd. He leaned in close to her, and spoke quietly. "I saw a few of Freeza's ships land here and got worried. Looks like I got here just in time."

Videl finally was able to find her voice and she looked up at him. "If Freeza's ships are here, aren't we in danger?"

"Probably." Gohan nodded. "But a bunch of ships are leaving tomorrow on some mass business venture. We can slip out with them."

"Tomorrow?" Videl gasped. "The ship doesn't even have a proper engine yet!"

"Which is why we're going to have to work fast, isn't it?"

Videl nodded and bit her lip. She looked up at him. "So when did you become a master of disguise?"

"Just now, it's a new thing I thought I'd try." He shrugged. "I don't even know if there IS a planet Duran."

"Well you convinced me." Videl smiled up at him as they made their way back towards the hangar.

"Good to hear it, Miho."


	11. Fools Store Their Past in the Future

"Are you insane?" Tienshinhan folded his arms, as Gohan wiped the oil off his eyes. "We can't have this thing off the ground by tomorrow."

"We can if we work hard and fast enough." Gohan said, standing up. "I can get that engine in if I work all night, and Kuririn is almost done reconfiguring the consoles. It'll be ready to steer within hours."

"We still have to make it air tight, and make sure…"

"Well then we'd better get to work." Gohan said, picking up a socket wrench and grinning. "Don't you think? I mean, we could stay here and hope Freeza's men don't find us, if you're willing to take that chance."

"Alright. We'll see what we can do." Tienshinhan said, sighing. "I'll tell the others." He nodded and turned away. "Don't expect any miracles though."

"I won't." Gohan turned back to Videl and slapped the wrench into his palm. "Shall we get to work?"

Videl nodded at him, pulling the scarf off her head, and Gohan walked away towards the engine room. He could tell something had been on Videl's mind for a while now, and he was sure he was going to find out what it was soon enough. The two of them made their way down into the engine room and Gohan looked at the incomplete mess of wires and machinery and sighed. It was going to take a lot of work. He knelt down by the machine and flopped onto his back, sliding under it. He heard Videl walk up next to him, and he smiled and held his hand out.

"Can you pass me the wire clippers?"

"Sure." The metal appliance was placed into his palm, and he pulled it under to clip at the coverings surrounding a few wires.

"Thanks."

"Do you really think you can have this thing up and running again?"

"I sure hope so." Gohan grunted, tying a few wires together and sliding in deeper. "I mean, it's either that or hide and pray."

The room was silent for a while. Gohan managed to use his Saiyan strength for most of the job, but occasionally had to ask Videl for a few tools for the finer jobs. The engine was really coming together, and quicker than he had hoped. It was still a long ways away from being flight ready, but it was a start. Videl was quiet for the most part, and she occasionally asked him what he was doing, and what she could help with, but aside from that, there was no conversation. Gohan had finally removed himself from underneath the contraption and was working on the side, heavy goggles pulled over his eyes as sparks flew in every which direction from the tip of the drill he held. He pulled back and raised his goggles to get a better look in, and he reached inside to grab the offending metal scrap with his rubber-gloved hand. It was at this point that Videl chose to speak up.

"What do you dream about?"

"Hn?" Gohan barely answered, pulling the unnecessary part from its nest and setting it beside him.

"At night, I hear you calling out in your sleep. What are you dreaming about? Nightmares?"

"I guess so." Gohan looked up at her. "I don't really remember my dreams."

Videl leaned against the doorframe. "Is that so?"

"Is that what's been bothering you?" He asked, sliding a new bit onto the drill. "My dreams?" He had forgotten what it felt like to have someone have such a vested interest in his well-being.

"Well I want to know more about you."

"I've told you most of it." Gohan shrugged, sliding the metal plate over the side of the engine. He rotated his shoulders, and stood up, flipping a few switches. He smiled at his work and turned to walk around to the other side. "About my father and me, and my uncle dying… That's the bulk of it."

"No, that's a few months." Videl followed him. "I want to know about you."

"Well what about you?" Gohan dodged the question. He wasn't really in the mood to talk about his life with Freeza.

"Me?" Videl leaned up against the wall, folding her arms. "My parents died when I was very little, and Yamucha took me in. He's kind of like a big brother to me. When I was very little, we set off into space as a courier ship, and I've been doing that ever since."

"You traveled with my mother, right? And Bulma?"

"Yes. Bulma was our mechanic." Videl nodded. "Chi-Chi, well… she found us in port, and offered us money to come along with us. Mostly she just cooked and cleaned around the ship. And then one day, the two of them just vanished with a shuttle, and we haven't seen them since."

"She never mentioned that dad and I were Saiyans huh?"

"No. She did talk about Saiyans though."

"What did she say?"

"We thought she was an expert or something." Videl said, reaching down to hand Gohan a wrench. "She told us about how much they ate, and how frightfully powerful they were. We never figured she knew any because… well… we thought they were all dead. But then the day she disappeared… Yamucha and I started thinking more about Saiyans."

"Do I live up to the hype?" Gohan grinned back at her, as he twisted another bolt off the metal casing.

"Not even." Videl snorted. "Saiyans are supposed to be brutal beyond compare. Slaughtering races, and murdering innocents, destroying planets…"

"Well then, maybe you ought to meet Vegeta." Gohan laughed.

"Speaking of which…" Videl put a hand to her cheek. "With Bulma and him… they have a son, right?"

"Yes, named Trunks. He's a good kid. Best friends with my little brother, so I always thought of him as family."

"Well, with Bulma and… Vegeta, well… I mean Yamucha and Bulma were together, here."

Gohan could tell this was awkward for her, and he looked up. "I don't know a whole lot about Bulma and Vegeta's relationship. Whenever they were together, they'd fight a lot. And when she was still allowed to see us more regularly, she'd take care of him when he got hurt in training… Then they started talking a lot, in private. Sometimes I'd hear them yelling at each other, but I don't really know what they'd talk about. And then one day, out of nowhere, she was pregnant. I remember when she told us, Vegeta was really mad, and refused to talk to her." Gohan rocked back onto his heels and frowned up at the machine. "When he did talk to her, he was saying she betrayed him, and called her names." He rubbed his arm, and shook his head. "Once Trunks was born, though, things started changing between them again. They talked more, and over the years I'm pretty sure they got closer. Vegeta always referred to her as 'his'. Dad told me that was his weird way of expressing love. Though I don't really get it."

"So they are together." Videl frowned, folding her arms. "But it sounds pretty complicated."

"I know she loves him." Gohan, smiled a little bit, and slapped a few more parts together. "And he loves her. He's just really bad at showing it."

"Yamucha will be sad to hear that." Videl leaned back up against the wall, and sighed. "Though they were starting to fight more… I think they weren't as serious as Bulma would have liked."

Gohan nodded, though he really didn't understand it. He was glad he had avoided the original question, and wouldn't have to—

"So tell me more, Gohan. About you. About how you grew up."

Or not.

"There's really not that much to tell." He said, gulping.

"It will make you feel better if you talk about it."

Gohan doubted that. Videl wasn't going to relent, he could tell, but he really didn't like revisiting those memories. "Videl, I don't want to talk about it."

"Please, Gohan." Videl sat next to him. "You can trust me. I promise you'll feel better afterwards."

Gohan stared at the metal appliance he was holding and sighed. He wasn't getting out of this, he could tell. She wasn't going to let it go, and the sooner he got it over with, the sooner he could go back to forgetting it.

"It started when I was five…"

* * *

><p>The chains hurt badly. They were too tight, very cold, and very heavy. When they had first been clipped around Gohan's small five-year-old wrists, he had been afraid he wouldn't be able to move at all. Gohan reached up and wiped the tears off his cheek, with great difficulty and looked up across the small room he was trapped in. His father sat on the opposite end, chained in a similar fashion that he was, only the restraints that held him seemed to be about ten times as heavy.<p>

"Don't be scared, Gohan." His father spoke up, smiling a little bit. "Daddy will protect you, no matter what, okay?"

Gohan nodded a little bit, but he didn't feel consoled at all. He was terrified, and no matter how much his father assured him it was all going to be okay, he couldn't shake the feeling something terrible was going to happen to them. The ship that they had been brought onto was a large one, even though the room they were in was extraordinarily small. Gohan didn't really remember much of being taken onto the ship, or much of being chained up. His mind was still stuck on the bloodied face of his uncle who had stared at him lifelessly, blood and gore pouring from his mouth and the wound on his chest. It was the only time his uncle had looked at him with anything other than contempt, and it had been after his heart had been pierced.

"Gohan?"

Gohan looked up at his father who stared at him, a worried expression on his face. He leaned forwards to reach towards Gohan, but the heavy restraints stopped him short. The tips of his fingers were barely able to brush against Gohan's hair.

"I'm sorry, Gohan."

Gohan blinked and looked up, confused. "Why?"

"For bringing you here." Goku's eyes closed, and his head hung. "That you saw Raditz…" He shook his head. "You're only five… I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry, dad." Gohan tried to move forwards, but his own restraints kept him pinned in place. "I'll be okay… we'll both be okay, right?"

"Of course we will, Gohan."

Gohan let a sigh of relief at the words. When his father looked hopeless like he had only moments ago, it made Gohan's heart tighten in his chest, and his throat run dry. He could take his own thoughts of doom and gloom, but if his father started to lose hope, Gohan wasn't sure what he would do. He needed his father to be the one to tell him that everything was going to be okay.

The gentle hum of the ship that had accompanied them through the entirety of their journey suddenly came to a halt, and there was a small jolt that jostled both Saiyans in their seats. Goku looked towards the small metal door just before it opened and Gohan shrank back into his seat, trying to make himself appear as small as possible, wishing he could just vanish.

"Come on then, monkey's. Time to see your new home."

* * *

><p>The walk through the base had been terrifying. Gohan had never felt so small or humiliated in his short life. He was constantly tripping over the chains that connected his ankles, and every time he did, a chorus of laughter accompanied him. There were thousands of aliens that lined the halls, all of whom stopped to stare at them. A few snickered and pointed, and one particularly vicious looking one leaned in as close as he could and snapped his jaws inches away from Gohan's face. He was scared and embarrassed and wanted desperately to run up to his father, who walked a few paces in front of him and grab onto his pant leg, and beg for protection, but the guard that separated them kept him from trying.<p>

His father stared straight ahead, unflinching, and unmoving. He wasn't scared at all, or if he was, he refused to show it. Gohan swallowed heavily and tried very hard to follow his father's example, but he tripping over his chains for the eighth time thwarted it. One of the guards grabbed him from behind and hauled him upwards, propelling him forwards at the same time. Gohan stumbled to regain his footing, and he fell back into line behind his father.

Finally the walk seemed to have reached its end, and the two stood in front of a large metal door, with heavy bolts and locks restraining it. It took a team of four men, and about four keys to open it and it swung inwards with a heavy grinding sound as it dragged against the floor. Gohan didn't have any time to wonder what was inside the room, that could warrant such powerful locks, when he felt himself getting shoved inside. He tripped, and landed on his face, as the metal grind of the door sounded again from behind him, and with several loud thuds, Gohan knew they were locked in. Two hands reached under his arms and pulled him up gently, and Gohan looked up at his father who was smiling down at him. Gohan couldn't help but return the smile, feeling a warm sense of relief flood through him, for not being separated from his father.

"Who the hell are you two?"

Both father and son turned towards the voice, and Gohan squinted through the dark of the room. There was a man sitting against the wall, with his arms folded, looking very angry and disgruntled. His chains were even larger than Goku's, and his hair stood on end like a flame, and Gohan couldn't help but feel slightly cowed by his presence. He grabbed onto his father's leg, and ducked behind him. Goku straightened jostling the chains.

"I'm Goku, and this is my son Gohan."

"Goku? Gohan?" The man scoffed. "What is this, are they sending me live food now?"

Gohan felt a jolt of panic surge through him, and he looked up at his father, who was just smiling. "I don't think that's it." He laughed. "Some guy named Freeza brought us here."

"Did he?" The man raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah… He killed all our other friends, and took us."

"Other friends?" This made the man stand up. "You two are Saiyan?"

"Huh? Yeah."

"Goku isn't a Saiyan name."

"No, see I was raised on Earth." Goku said, putting a hand on Gohan's head. "My brother found us, and brought us to the other Saiyans."

"Your brother? Who was your brother?"

"A man named Raditz."

"Raditz?" The man smirked, and took a few steps forward, analyzing them. "You mean to tell me you're Kakarot?"

"Kaka-what? Oh yeah… he called me that too." Goku said, scratching his cheek. "I guess so. But I prefer Goku."

Gohan looked up at the strange man who was looking them over with the same look of scorn Raditz had given him. He frowned and tightened his grip on his father's leg. The man was intimidating and knew it.

"Well, what do you know, the fact that your alive is fairly surprising."

"So who are you?"

"I'm your Prince." He said, curling a hand into a fist. "I am Prince Vegeta."

"I didn't even know we had a Prince."

"Raditz must have let it slip his mind. He was never too bright."

Gohan looked up at his father who let the remark about his brother slide, much to his surprise. He frowned and slightly removed himself from the protection his father offered. He looked around the room and noticed it was totally barren. There was nothing in it except the three of them.

"So what happens now?" Goku asked, putting his hands onto his hips.

"I imagine you two get inducted into Freeza's little… training program. Though the little one there might not even last a few hours."

"He might surprise you." Goku said, putting a hand on his son's head again. "He's strong." He looked up at the man. "What's this training program consist of?"

Vegeta smirked and laughed, folding his arms. "Everything."

* * *

><p>"So what was it?"<p>

Gohan looked up at Videl, a little shocked at her speaking up for the first time. "What?"

"The training, what was it?"

"I didn't do it."

"What?" Videl frowned. "I thought you said…"

"I didn't start on the Training till I was ten." He said, leaning back against the wall. "At least not the same training he put my father and Vegeta through." He looked back at the engine and frowned, folding his arms behind his head. "I think it might be ready."

"What?"

"The engine. Remember?"

"What, already?"

"Time flies when you're telling stories, huh?" Gohan said, wiping some of the oil off his gloves. "Let's go see if we can find something to eat, I'm starving."

"But… what happened after that?"

"Hm?"

"What happened to you after that?"

"I'll tell you tomorrow, once we take off, alright?"

Videl folded her arms. "Alright, I'll hold you to it."

"I don't break promises. Now come, let's go find some food."


	12. Death is the Tyrant of the Imagination

The feeling of blood on his hands was a feeling he had sadly gotten used to. At first it had terrified him, and he had screamed his head off the first time he had killed someone he had screamed his head off for hours. His father had barely been able to console him, and Vegeta had just laughed. It had been self-defense, but the sight of it had still given him nightmares. Now however, he was an adept fighting machine. A force to be reckoned with. Blood no longer frightened him. And he was only ten.

Gohan's ears perked a little bit and he turned around as another nameless monster, lurched towards, him, extending a hand sloppily. Gohan tilted his head a little bit and looked over at the monster—he didn't even think of them as aliens, they were monsters, that's all there was to it—and his chains jostled a bit against his legs. The thing lunged towards him, wrapping its hands around Gohan's throat, biting down hard on his shoulder. Gohan hardly even moved. He reached up and grabbed the monster, wrapping his hand around its forehead and pushing it away from him. His tail flickered in agitation, and he pushed it away from him, holding it out as it clawed at him, only striking at the air.

He pulled back his hand and let a vicious punch fly. He knocked the thing back; letting go as his fist connected and it went flying across the room. It skidded into the ground and Gohan flew forwards, landing on top of it, and pulling back for another punch. He hit it over and over and over again. It made him feel good to be the more powerful person. It made him feel strong. It made him feel so damn ashamed. But the shame wasn't enough to stop him, he mercilessly kept striking the monster's face, blood spattering his knuckles. A small smile appeared on his face.

Then a hand caught his, and he felt a strong arm wrap around his waist. "Stop it, Gohan! He's already dead!"

Gohan's smile fell, and he realized it was his father that was holding him. Tears sprung to his eyes as he looked down at the bloody mess on the floor under him. He pushed himself backwards off the body, and into his father's arms. Tears poured down his face, and he turned around, grabbing onto the front of his father's shirt, hiding his face. "Dad… I… I don't…"

"Shhh, it's okay, Gohan." His father ran a hand through his hair. "I know, it's okay. Don't cry."

"Why are you coddling him still, Kakarot?" Vegeta's harsh voice drifted in from behind him. "This thing would have killed him, he only did what came naturally to him. It's the Saiyan in him."

"He's just a kid, Vegeta."

"Just a kid. When I was his age, I was bringing whole planets to their knees. You're just making him weaker by coddling him and impeding his growth. He could actually be strong one day."

Gohan tightened his grip on his father's shirt, and tried to tune them out as they kept speaking about him. He didn't want to talk, or kill things, or feel this way anymore. He just wanted to close his eyes as tightly as he could, and pretend that nothing else existed around him. His father patted him on the back, and he appreciated the gesture of kindness. He picked himself up as they stood up and the buzzer sounded, signaling that there were no more enemies to be fought, and the door opened. Gohan turned around, looking up at his father, who smiled down at him, putting a hand on his head.

"Don't cry, Gohan. It'll all be okay. You'll see."

Gohan nodded and wiped his face, as a few guards entered the room, and the three Saiyans quietly filed out, flanked on either side by armed guards. They were lead back towards their cell, and the door opened. Gohan stepped inside first, and smiled a little bit at the sight that greeted them. His three year old brother, and Vegeta's four year old son were playing in the middle of the room, laughing and having a good time. Trunks was standing in the very middle of the room, a blindfold on his eyes, and his arms stretched out, before him.

"Marco!" He called out, frowning and turning around.

Gohan smiled and looked over at his little brother who was darting around the rom, giggling like mad. "Polo!"

Gohan looked back over at his father and saw Vegeta shaking his head. He snuck into the room as quietly as he could, walking towards Trunks. He looked over at Goten, who snickered and held his hands over his mouth.

"Marco!" Trunks called out, walking forwards a few steps.

"Polo!" Gohan yelled suddenly grabbing Trunks up by the middle and spinning him around. Trunks let out a startled cry, but it quickly turned into laughter as Gohan set him down.

"Gohan! You're back!" He gasped, happily, pulling the blindfold off his eyes.

Goten ran over, extending his arms and jumping upwards. "Me next! Me next!"

Gohan smiled and picked Goten up off the floor and spun him around before setting him down next to Trunks. He looked them both over and his smile quickly turned into a frown when he saw the state of them. They were covered in bandages, and bruises and some dried blood caked their hair lines. He reached forwards and delicately touched one of the wounds. "Are you alright?"

"Huh?" Goten looked down at himself and then smiled up at his big brother. "Yeah! I'm fine! Right Trunks?"

"Yup. We're okay."

"There was lots of poking and cutting today, and at the end of it we had to fight a giant monster." Goten stuck his thumb in his mouth.

"Some of the stuff they put in us made my blood hurt…" Trunks said, rubbing his arms.

Vegeta walked over and knelt down in front of his son and turned him over. "Let me see."

"It's okay, father."

"I don't care, let me see. I want to know what Freeza is doing to my blood."

"It's my blood, father."

Vegeta sighed. "Boy, we've been over this. You are my son, so my blood runs through you. Understand?"

"No?"

Vegeta rubbed his eyes with his forefinger and thumb and continued looking his son over. Gohan watched his father pick Goten up and look him over too. Gohan rubbed his own arm, his thoughts turning to the poking and prodding he had been subjected only earlier that year. He hated the thought of them doing that to another member of his family, but there still wasn't much he could do about it. He had been started on the same training 'program' his father and Vegeta were subjected to only a few months ago. And he couldn't help but feel the fighting was changing him somehow. He got angrier easier, and he attacked things and kept attacking even long after they'd died. It terrified him, and part of him wanted to go back to the poking and prodding. He looked over at his little brother and wondered if he would be the same way, or more okay with killing things. He had been born into it after all.

* * *

><p>Videl slowly folded her arms, and leaned onto her knees. She sat on the bed across from Gohan's and frowned at the pained expression on his face. She had thought talking about his past would help him, but it seemed to be causing him a lot more grief than acting as helpful therapy. She didn't want to hurt him, and after this she had planned on stopping him, and to stop asking altogether. But he kept talking, and the more he talked the more he couldn't seem to stop talking. And she also didn't want to interrupt him. The story was intense to be blunt.<p>

She knew any story regarding Freeza wasn't going to be a pleasant one, but this was too much. She couldn't imagine the boy in front of her to be a cold hearted killer. Even if it was self-defense, he seemed… too sweet. Then again Yamucha had always told her to be wary of the sweet ones. Never get on the bad side of a polite man. They had legendary tempers.

Gohan looked up at her, and seemed to notice the intense discomfort she was feeling. He frowned a little at her, and leaned forward. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

"Is it bothering you?"

"What?"

"The story. Is it too much?"

"I asked you to tell me, Gohan." Videl curled in on herself. "Don't worry about me. What about you? Is this… okay with you?"

"Yeah. You were right, talking about it does help."

"I made that up, you tell me right now if you don't want to talk about it."

"Videl, it really does make me feel better. Like getting a weight off my chest." Gohan touched his chest as if he was brushing off an invisible weight. "You just tell me if it gets to be too… well…"

"Gory?"

"I'm not going to go into that deep of detail."

Videl leaned back against the wall. "So… when you were a kid, they experimented on you?"

"Sort of." Gohan shrugged. "They were mostly just tests and stuff. Though sometimes they stuck me with weird things. It made my heart beat really fast and I got really angry sometimes, but I never understood what they were doing to me."

"Sounds awful."

"Well it was." Gohan laughed a little bit. "But I got through it. My dad really helped… Even Vegeta was there for me when I needed it. Well sort of. He was hard on me, but then again sometimes that was what I needed."

Videl smiled and looked over at the clock that sat on the wall. "I think that's enough for today, though."

"Thank you, counselor."

Videl threw her pillow at him, and he laughed. "Shut up, Gohan. I'm tired." She stood up, and walked over to the door. Gohan looked up at her and nodded at her as she opened it.

"Good night, Videl."

"Good night, Gohan."

* * *

><p>Screams filled the room, and it was driving Vegeta certifiably insane. He rolled his eyes as the screams of horror and sound of thrashing peaked. He turned his head and examined his surroundings. It wasn't anything new to him, but he didn't find himself in this situation very often. He was bolted to a table, his arms spread out to his side, and there were several sensors stuck to his forehead and chest. Things like this happened at least once a month, and Freeza called them… 'check ups'. There was just the usual poking and prodding to be done, and some questions regarding his mental health. One of Freeza's drones approached him and cleaned off the crook of his arm with a cloth covered in rubbing alcohol and quickly and quietly stuck him with an IV tube. He watched them tape it down and looked up at the ceiling, his eye brow and tail twitching in irritation.<p>

"For the love of god, Kakarot! They haven't even started yet!" Vegeta rolled his eyes and looked over at the Saiyan laying on a table next to him, trashing and screaming his head off, incoherent babble mixed with the occasional yell of 'I hate needles.'

The screaming peaked a moment and Vegeta assumed that Goku had finally been stuck, and that meant the howling was about to stop. Sure enough it finally came to a halt, and Vegeta sighed, relieved at the quiet.

"You know, I think they leave you in here with me all the time because it tortures me."

"Don't be like that, Vegeta." Goku spoke up, finally seeming to calm down. "It's nice to have a friend with you, isn't it?"

"We're not friends."

"Yes we are."

Vegeta rolled his eyes as the room was emptied, leaving them alone. He sighed and looked up at the ceiling. "You know, Freeza told your woman that your eldest was dead."

"He told Chi-Chi that Gohan was dead?"

"That is literally what I just told you."

"Why would he do that."

"Maybe he is dead."

"I don't think so."

"Then he was probably just trying to mess with her head."

"The guy needs a hobby."

"Really?" Vegeta snorted. "That's all you can say? Freeza needs a hobby? He told your 'wife' that your son was dead."

"Speaking of wives, how exactly are you and Bulma going to get married?"

"You are hopeless." Vegeta shook his head. Still, he brought up a good point. From what he had heard about Goku's wedding—which mostly consisted of the menu—he wasn't sure how he was going to give Bulma what he had promised her. Besides, apparently there needed to be someone to witness it, and someone else to actually perform the ceremony. It was all so complicated.

"I mean, I guess you could ask Freeza if…"

"I am NOT asking Freeza for any favors." Vegeta snapped.

"Favors?"

The door opened and Vegeta craned his head to look at the doctor. "It's none of your business." He said, laying flat on the table again. "Just get this ridiculous thing over with."

The doctor just shrugged and walked over, standing next to Goku, beginning to open his medical box and Vegeta sat up. "No! You'll do me first."

The doctor looked surprised, and glanced over at him. "I wasn't aware we were taking volunteers…"

"If I have to hear him holler about needles any more than I already have, I will kill myself. So you'll examine me first. And then you'll send me back."

The shock that was on his face made him smirk a little bit. He sat back onto the table and sat completely still while the doctor walked over, and sterilized his torso, and began to poke him with whatever strange new fluid Freeza was having pumped into him. It made his muscles clench and his jaw shake a bit, but he was able to grit his teeth and bear it. He was unable to control one of the muscle spasms that accompanied the shots, but after a few moments it subsided and his cuffs were released from the table. He sat up, and slung his legs over the side.

"Best of luck, Kakarot." He said, as the guard at the door slipped the chains back onto the cuffs.

"Wait, Vegeta! Don't go! Don't let them stick me!" The screaming began and Vegeta rolled his eyes and began to follow the guards that began to lead him off. He wasn't sure if he'd get shoved back into the pit to do more fighting, but at the moment he didn't really care. His mind was preoccupied with the thought of marriage. It was an odd thing to think about, being with the woman for the rest of his life. Promising himself to her. Though he supposed he didn't mind. He thought about Goku's relationship with Chi-Chi. Goku had told him about the circumstances under which he had gotten married, and he found they weren't so different from his own. Both of them had no idea what it was when they had agreed to it, but Vegeta had at least has the sense to ask about it, and not wait several years.

Bulma was an interesting woman. She could have even made a decent Saiyan had her heritage been different. She was strong for a human. They were both strong by human standards, though. Vegeta wasn't so sure if he hated the idea of staying with Bulma forever. At least this way he was sure she would be his and only his. If there was anything you could say about Vegeta, it was that he was possessive. Still it wasn't as if she could see any men the way she was now, but Vegeta did plan on taking her and the boy with him when he escaped. So preemptively making sure she would always be his seemed like a good idea.

Still, he didn't like the idea of being tied up in some strange human ritual. The thought simply bothered him.


	13. Few Things Have Real World Applications

"You realize, Zarbon, that this is completely unacceptable."

Zarbon stopped himself from wincing, and stared directly at the monitor, refusing to let his gaze waver. The boy had been missing for more than five days now, which was longer than any search mission should ever take. However, the Saiyan was nothing short of a genius. Complicated formulas, mechanics, and anything else they had tested him with had come as naturally as breathing. The fact that he was able to stay hidden so well, was no surprise, but it was still, as Freeza said, completely unacceptable. Zarbon cleared his throat. "Sir, we're searching the Gliese system, and the surrounding systems as we speak!"

Freeza folded his hands and leaned forwards, sighing. "Zarbon, you realize that you're trying to convince me that you're searching _space_, for him." He rubbed the bridge between his eyes. "_Space_." He said, again. "He could be anywhere!"

"We believe he's…"

"You _believe_?"

"Yes sir…"

"Oh for the love of… Please don't make me call in specialists for this."

"Not necessary, sir. I'll bring him back."

"So you've said, over and over." Freeza leaned back into his chair. "I'm starting to think you're not the man for the job…"

"Please, give me more time, Lord Freeza." Zarbon frowned. "I'm certain there's something I can do."

"Something?"

Zarbon folded his arms. "I just need to find the right bait." He said, looking up at Freeza. "With that, I can lure him to me."

"Fine, Zarbon." Freeza sighed, leaning back into his chair again. "I'll give you a week. Any longer than that, is inexcusable. I'll send someone else to retrieve him."

"Of course Lord Freeza. I'll have him in custody by weeks end."

"Good."

The transmission ended and Zarbon bit down on his lip. How the hell was he going to lure that boy out of hiding? The only thing he could possibly use was…

A wicked grin spread across Zarbon's face and he folded his arms. He turned to the pilot and flicked his wrist outwards. "Set a course for Planet Anan." He looked towards a monitor. "And get two prison transport ships."

"Two sir?"

"Yes." Zarbon smirked. "And have one of them crash."

* * *

><p>"I still can't believe you got that engine up and running." Kuririn turned around and looked up at Gohan who looked back down at him, smiling.<p>

"I'm just good with stuff like that, I guess."

"Yeah, when did you have time to learn how to make a Gliesian engine? I doubt Freeza taught you that sort of stuff."

Gohan shook his head and sat down in the chair next to him leaning his elbows onto his knees. "No, I'm mostly self taught. A lot of it just comes naturally to me. Mom was rigorous about tutoring, I was doing calculus by the time I was four. She really wanted me to be a scholar."

"Wow." Kuririn leaned onto the console and looked at the rest of the fleet that surrounded them. They had successfully managed to sneak off the bloodied sky hell planet with the band of merchant ships. So far none of Freeza's ships had followed them, and there was nothing being posted about a Gliesian ship being wanted so for the time being, they were safe. "So, what's your plan, Gohan?"

Gohan looked down at the floor again. "My plan? It mostly involves staying alive right now. I'm not strong enough to take on Freeza the way I am. But I have to go back, and save my family, and Vegeta's too."

"Well we're going to want to help you save Bulma and Chi-Chi."

"I think you guys would like my dad." Gohan smiled fondly. "He's a good guy."

"Well he must be. Chi-Chi isn't the type of woman who would settle."

"Oh she's not." Gohan stood up and looked towards the door. "I'm going to go back to the engine room, and see if I can rig up a few upgrades."

"You're a really big help, Gohan."

Gohan gave him a smile, and started walking again. He looked down at the floor, and frowned. He wasn't sure how he was going to save his family. He was worried about Goten and Trunks. His father and Vegeta would be fine, he was sure of that. But he was never sure what they were doing with his younger brothers. They had them killing aliens and other aliens at a much younger age, and it worried Gohan. He had a bad feeling about all this. He felt incredibly useless, not being able to save anyone, and bringing so much trouble to these people. Still, he wasn't going to dwell on it. Getting depressed wasn't a good way to save anyone. He was going to find some way to train, and get stronger, and then he was going to bust in and save his mother, father and brother. And god help anyone who got in his way.

Gohan made his way towards the engine room, and found himself face to face with Videl. He frowned and leaned back a bit. She leaned forwards and put her hands behind her back. She opened her mouth to speak, and Gohan held up his hand.

"Sorry, Videl…. I'm really not in the mood to talk today."

"We're not going to talk. We're going to train down in the cargo hold."

"Train?" Gohan smiled. He could do that. It wouldn't be any sort of place he could let loose in, but he would be able to get a little bit stronger. "Did you figure your Ki out?"

Videl smiled and held out her hand. A small glowing orb appeared in her hands, it wavered and was poorly handled but it was a ball of Ki nonetheless. "You tell me."

"Awesome…" Gohan smiled. "And I didn't need to throw you at a mountain for you to figure it out either."

"Nope. So come on, let's go train."

"Alright. We can spar a bit." Gohan said, folding his arms. "Maybe work on your upper body strength."

"What's wrong with my upper body strength?"

"It's lacking."

Videl furrowed her brow. "Lacking?"

"Well yeah. I mean not that you're weak or anything. You could just use some work. Nothing personal." Gohan rubbed the back of his head. He chuckled a little bit and tried to diffuse the tense air that had suddenly filled the room. Videl wasn't buying it. He sighed and pointed down the hall. "So shall we go spar?"

"Yeah, uh huh." Videl nodded and started walking. "And then I'll show you just how 'lacking' my upper body strength is."

Gohan chuckled a little bit more and followed her. "Alright, alright."

* * *

><p>Real world applications. That's what Freeza had called it. Gohan was fifteen years old, and so heavily restrained he could barely move an inch. He was trapped in a small trailer, the metal was at least ten inches thick and he could hear the hum of ships on every side of him. He wasn't scared though. He was worried, and he was nervous, but for some reason he wasn't scared. He looked down at himself and tried to move through the heavy restraints, but had no luck. Real world applications. Whatever that meant. The ship very slowly came to a stop, and Gohan looked up as the door opened. Several heavily armed guards stood in front of him, all of whom were looking at him nervously. They all stood back, and one of them pointed a remote at him and suddenly all of the restraints popped open. As Gohan stood up, he watched the soldiers flee from him, and he pulled the cloth down around his mouth, and he heard the steady drum of engines and he knew suddenly that he was alone on some strange planet, with nothing more than a metal trailer, and heavy restraints. He brushed the metal bindings off him and stood up straight. Then, a small plasma screen lit up next to him. He looked over at it as Freeza's face suddenly filled it.<p>

"Hello, SG002." He smirked, leaning into his hand. "Did you have a pleasant trip?"

"What's all this about, Freeza?" Gohan turned towards the monitor.

"I told you. I want to see how far you've progressed."

Gohan looked over at the open door, and folded his arms. "You've said that, but what does it mean?"

"Oh don't be dense, SG002." Freeza sighed. "I want you to kill every living thing on this planet."

"What?" Gohan looked over, shock clearly evident on his face. "I won't do anything like that!"

"Oh come now, I told you that I'd ease you in slowly, didn't I? This planet is full of nothing more than low life savages. Murderers, cannibals, any crime you can think of these people have committed. They wander through space, hitting random planets, and committing atrocities and other assorted evils. The original inhabitants are long dead. Think of it as retribution for their crimes."

"Why should I believe you?"

"You don't have to, though I am telling you the truth. Eventually I'll have you killing much more important worlds than this, but I'm not totally heartless. I'm starting you off slowly. You should be grateful."

"What if I refuse?"

"Is that wise?" Freeza's eyes glimmered. "Is disobeying me the best choice? When I have your entire family here? Your mother is completely dispensable."

Gohan narrowed his eyes and turned on his heel, growling from the back of his throat. "Don't you dare touch her!"

"Then clean this planet." Freeza folded his fingers in front of his mouth. "I'm giving you four hours. If it's not done by then, I'll kill her. Come back here when you're done." The transmission ended and Gohan closed his eyes.

He stepped out onto the planet, and folded his arms. He couldn't trade the life of his mother for thousands others. Then again, if what Freeza said was true, then these were people who wouldn't be missed, and who his mother was definitely more important than. He would have to investigate for himself. He flexed his fingers and stretched out his Ki, getting a feel for how well he'd be able to move. His wrists were still clamped in his typical heavyset cuffs, though those didn't bother him. It was the extra weight that the restraining jacket they had put on him brought that was making him uncomfortable.

Still, he had a job to do and only four hours to do it. He would have to work quickly. He took off into the air and flew towards the gathering of low-level Ki. The planet was full of them, and ripe with the scent of death. It was helping to prove what Freeza said to be true, but Gohan would have to see it for himself. With his mother's life on the line, he'd have little to no trouble dealing with murderers and monsters. Though if they weren't… god help him.

Gohan landed a few feet away from a camp sight, in the middle of a small and humble looking village. He put a hand on one of the huts, and looked around. The smell of blood was heavy in the air, as was the smell of fire and smoke. He heard cheerful cries coming from the campsite a few feet to his left, and he pushed aside a curtain that covered the window to a hut, and he slipped inside. Instantly, he wished he hadn't. He recoiled at the sight of the dead bodies on the floor, the walls and carpets stained bright red with blood. He held a hand over his mouth and walked towards the door, which was little more than a tattered curtain. He pulled it back to look into the street where the campsite was, though he needed no more confirmation that what Freeza had told him was true.

His blood boiled at the sight of the men crowded around the campfire, laughing. He found it odd that Freeza had sent him here to kill these men when they seemed exactly like the type to be first in line to be recruited to Freeza's army. Still, he had a choice to make now. He could make good on his deal with Freeza, or sit tight and let his mother get killed. He looked down towards the ground, and frowned. Even after ten years, he wasn't entirely used to killing people, even if they did entirely deserve it. The power to end a life was something he never thought he would be given, and never hoped he would have.

And yet, part of him enjoyed it. He felt incredible amounts of shame at the thought of such a thing, but the fact that remained that it made him feel strong. His whole life he had felt powerless, and afraid, and to be able to have that power over someone else felt like karma. He knew it was wrong to feel that way. He hated every bit of that feeling and was by no means proud of it. He had talked it over with his father a few times, but nothing had come from it. It had always ended with him assuring his father that he didn't want to feel that way and telling him he would stop. Vegeta had been little help. He had simply said it was natural for Saiyans and to let the instinct take over. That it would make him stronger.

Though if that was what Strength led to, he was almost fine with staying weak. Gohan narrowed his eyes. Still he had to choose between the life of these horrible people or the life of his mother. And how could he choose them? He folded his fingers into fists and stepped out from behind the curtain. He walked towards the group of cheering men, his hands at his sides. Instantly, all eyes were on him.

"Did you do this?" Gohan asked, though he didn't need to. The blood that covered them was proof enough of what they had done. The men standing there looked perplexed. They looked between themselves and Gohan curled his fists angrily. "Answer me!"

One of them laughed. "What did you sleep through it?"

"Foolish boy, I'm surprised we left you alive!"

They laughed again, and Gohan felt his control slipping. He felt his nails were nearly going to rip through his skin and he walked forwards. The men were all laughing, and one stood up to walk over to him, brandishing an ugly long knife. "Don't worry, boy, this will only hurt for… well I plan on making it hurt a lot!"

He didn't get a chance to take another step. Gohan reached forwards, grabbed his neck and snapped it with one swift motion. He dropped him to the floor and looked up at the group of men. There were more of them. Lots more, but it wasn't a problem with him. This was one order he wouldn't particularly mind obeying. And he knew Freeza knew that. It started small. Take the life of an evil man, and soon you can work your way up to taking the life of an innocent, all justified in your mind. At least that was what Vegeta said. However, Gohan never planned on reaching that stage. But for now, he wouldn't trade the life of his mother for these men. He'd figure out what do later.

He turned his head to look at the other men who were staring at him in awe, and he turned towards them, narrowing his eyes. This wouldn't be difficult for him at all.

* * *

><p>Gohan slowly made his way back towards the trailer he had been brought to this world with. The fleet of ships from before was back and Gohan found himself face to face with an army of Freeza's soldiers. He looked them up and down, there wasn't anyone particularly powerful in their ranks, and with some proper maneuvers he would be able to cut through them as easily as he has killed the population of men that had taken over the planet he stood on. He looked up at one of the smaller ships that lined the planet and wondered how easily he'd be able to commandeer it. And then with no warning, the entirety of Freeza's army fired on him.<p>

He gasped and raised his Ki to protect himself as quickly as he could, but it was smashed through with the brute force of a thousand blasts raining down on him. He was knocked backwards and hit the dirt, and still the fire continued. He could hardly move. Finally, the blasts stopped, and he was left in the dirt feeling soundly beaten. He hadn't been expecting them to fire on him without any sort of provocation, but in hindsight he supposed he should have. Freeza would have been expecting him to pull some sort of stunt, and so he had been preemptively subdued. He felt himself being moved slowly back into the dull grey dome of his Trailer. Slowly the restraints were secured around him again, and he could hardly put up any sort of resistance, and it pissed him off.

He pushed himself up off the ground, which was incredibly difficult without the use of his arms, and looked around. There were doctors bearing needles around him now, and his thoughts turned to his father, as they always did when needles were brought up. He recognized the contents as the healing solution from the healing tanks. Injected intravenously it healed most wounds, though not as quickly as the healing tank would. Still being a Saiyan Gohan healed quickly anyhow. His wounds were slowly closing and he still ached like hell. Finally all the soldiers filed out, and Gohan was alone. The trailer raised off the ground, and he knew they were flying again. The small plasma screen lit up once more, and he looked over at Freeza.

"Well done, SG002!" He applauded. "I almost thought you wouldn't have it in you, but you proved me wrong. I look forward to seeing you again."

And that was all he saw. The transmission went dark and Gohan looked back at the dark of his trailer. He sighed and stared at the floor as the steady rumble of the trailer moving through space slowly began to soothe him. The healing serum worked its way through his veins and he felt rather peaceful. He drifted in and out of a dreamless sleep, and waited for the journey to be over.

That was when his journey took an unexpected turn.

The trailer rattled and shook and Gohan lurched, suddenly very awake. He tried to get to his feet, but the shaking wouldn't stop. It shook violently, and he felt it might scramble his brains. He braced himself up against the wall as there was a sudden heavy jerk. Gohan was tossed about like a rag doll, until the trailer suddenly came to a halt. He stood up shakily and looked up. The trailer was on its side, he could tell, and it was dented and badly banged up. The fact that he was in tact was nothing short of a miracle. He looked up towards the door above him and noticed it was more badly damaged than the rest of the trailer and his heart soared. He managed to climb a bit and prop himself between a large dent and the wall. He looked up at the door, and smirked. He raised his foot and it collided with the metal, denting it heavily. He pulled it back down and kicked it again. And again, and again. Finally, the door was barely hanging by a thin hinges. He pulled his foot down and put all his power into one final kick. The door went flying.

Gohan smirked, incredibly satisfied with himself. He pulled himself up, and climbed out of the trailer, observing the fiery wreck that surrounded him. They had crashed. Of all the luck in the world, they had actually crashed. It was the chance Son Gohan had been waiting for, and he was _not_ about to pass it up.

* * *

><p>Goku folded his arms, and took a threatening step forward. "What the hell do you mean we can't see the boys anymore?"<p>

Freeza examined his fingernails as if they were discussing something as trivial as the weather. "I mean, I've decided it's high time they leave the nest. They don't need you any more and I'll be taking care of them now."

"What?" Goku shouted, curling his fists. "They're only ten!"

"Vegeta," Freeza smoothly countered. "How old were you when your father handed you over to me?" He asked, smirking. "About the boy's age, weren't you?"

Goku could practically feel the hateful aura surrounding Vegeta. He took a look back at the elder Saiyan and furrowed his brow. He hadn't been aware that Vegeta had been with Freeza since such a young age. "It doesn't matter, you can't take them from us!"

"I can, and I have. I suggest you learn to cope." Freeza cracked his neck, and then turned his back on the two older Saiyans. "Not to worry, though." He added with a smirk. "I'll be taking very good care of them."

With no warning, Vegeta lunged towards Freeza, hands extended as if he meant to strangle the tyrant. Goku reached forwards, in some pitiful attempt to stop him, but Freeza's tail reached him first. It looked as though it had barely scraped Vegeta, but it sent him flying into the far wall, leaving cracks and a dent in it. Goku ran over to his side, and knelt beside him.

Freeza laughed and closed the door and Vegeta's fist collided with the floor. "Dammit! I won't let that bastard have my son!"

"It's alright Vegeta." Goku frowned, putting a hand on his back. "We'll get them back." He looked over at the door, Freeza had walked through and narrowed his eyes. "What say we put in some extra credit hours?"

"What the hell are you talking about, Kakarot?"

"I'm talking about training." Goku stood up and offered a hand down to Vegeta. "I'm talking about getting stronger. We can't let him take the boys. So I suggest we figure out a way to stop him."

Vegeta smirked once, and shook his head. "You know, Kakarot, for as stupid as you are, you say some smart things sometimes." He reached up and took Goku's hand and Goku just smiled.

"I have my moments."

"Idiot."

Goku smirked and punched his palm, smirking. "Less talking, more sparring!"

"If you think you can handle it."

"I'll go easy on you."


	14. Calm Before the Storm

**(Well it's finals week, which means my days of updating every day are slowly drawing to a close. I'll keep trying for as early as possible, and it shouldn't take more than two days, but it won't be as fast anymore.) **

* * *

><p>Two weeks had passed, and Gohan was feeling more and more discouraged. He mostly trained with Videl and kept the engine running smooth, and found things to lift heavy things to keep himself from getting out of shape in any sense of the word. But every day that passed was another day he hadn't saved his family. He had to wonder if Freeza had taken it out on them. He hadn't seen any of them in what felt like such an incredibly long time, and out in space it felt even longer. Gohan sighed and leaned back into his bed. He felt effectively useless, and was stagnating more than a little. He wanted to figure out a way to save his mother and father and brother… and he wasn't having any luck at all.<p>

He swung his legs over the side of the bed and slowly made his way up the hallways of the ship. Everyone else was asleep by now. The empty halls of the ship were almost unnerving, but it was space. It wasn't as if someone was going to leap out at him. He sighed and rubbed his eyes, making his way towards the dining hall. He walked by the hall leading up to the cockpit, and yawned, stretching his arms over his head. He was nearly past it when a small blinking light caught his eye.

He turned and looked up at it, and noticed the monitor in front of the pilot's chair was blinking. He frowned a little bit and walked up towards it, turning the chair towards him and sitting down. He looked down at the monitor and frowned leaning forwards. He wasn't sure what to make of the flashing lights, or the large box full of text that was highlighted on the screen.

Gohan had nearly decided to give up, and just go get Kuririn and tell him what was happening, when he saw two words that were completely recognizable. The word crash was highlighted in bold yellow letters, and next to it was a small group of letters. SG001.

Gohan's breath caught in his throat. His eyes hovered on the letters. His father. All five of them had been given those letters as a sort of code name. They had never been told what the letters stood for, but it wasn't incredibly difficult to figure out. He, his father and brother all had SG and two zeros and a number. His father was one, he was two and his brother was three. They had figured out that the S had meant Saiyan, and for a while they had figured that the G's had just been the first part of their name, since they all started with the same letter. However, eventually, they had come to the conclusion it just meant 'Goku'. Vegeta and Trunks were given the same sort of code names, only the two of them were given the letters SV two zeros and a number. Saiyan and Vegeta. Gohan fell back into the seat and scoured the text for any other recognizable words, but found nothing.

He stood up, and turned around running through the halls of the ship. He skidded to a halt in front of Kuririn's door, and as he had a hand poised to knock, a soft voice startled him from behind.

"Gohan?"

Gohan turned around to see Videl staring at him with a blanket around her shoulders. He gasped and fumbled for words, but found they weren't coming to him. He sighed and reached down to grab her hand. "Please come with me!" He took off running. Videl ran after him, clutching his hand and gripping the blanket with her other.

"What's wrong, Gohan?" She cried out. "Are you okay?"

Gohan nearly missed the hall to the cockpit. He managed to slide to a stop and turn, pulling Videl up the stairs and pointing to the screen desperately. "Please… please tell me you can read this…"

Videl walked up next to him and leaned in her eyes darting back and forth as she read the small block of text. "It looks like a ship crashed on planet Anan." She said, looking up at him, frowning. "It says something about someone called… SG001." She touched a finger to her mouth. "Isn't that what Zarbon called you?"

"No." Gohan shook his head. "To them, I'm SG002." He looked down at the text, and ran a hand along the screen. "SG001 is my father."

"Your father?"

Gohan gripped the seats. "Planet Anan…what kind of place is it?"

"What?"

"Planet Anan! What is it?"

"It's an underdeveloped planet." She put her hands on her hips. "It's got no intelligent life on it."

"So he's stranded there."

"What?"

"Freeza will send an army," Gohan turned around. "He'll do whatever it takes to get my dad and me back. Two of us escaping? He'll freak out, and he'll…"

"Gohan, calm down."

"I can't!" He gripped his head. "I have… I have to go save him!"

Videl reached forward and grabbed his arm. "Save him? How? We can't just land this ship on planet Anan."

"No, I'll have to go some other way…"

Videl stood up. "We'll take a shuttle."

"We?"

"Can you fly it?" Videl said, smirking.

Gohan cursed. There was absolutely no way he was going to be able to fly a shuttle, especially not through space. And even though he was a Saiyan there was no way any living thing would survive in a vacuum that long. He was down on options. He looked over at Videl and folded his arms. "I don't have a lot of a choice, do I?"

"Not if you want to get there in one piece you don't."

"Your crew won't like another one of their members disappearing for Saiyan related reasons."

Videl frowned at that and Gohan could tell she hadn't thought of it. She looked up and put her hands on her hips. "How about we leave a note? That way they can't say no, but they can also know where we went off to."

Gohan couldn't help but smile a little bit. "Well alright. I won't complain. But we have to hurry. Dad could be in real trouble down there."

"Right. Planet Anan won't be too far away from here." She then turned and ran down the halls again, towards the shuttles as Gohan ran to watch up with her. He frowned and looked down at the floors of the ship. He almost felt like it was two good to be true, but then again, part of it made sense. Someone had crashed into his ship, and facilitated his escape, so the same could have happened with his father. Though why would Freeza move his father in the first place? Another real world application test? He wasn't sure, but he wasn't about to let this opportunity pass him by. If there was even the slightest chance his father would be down there, he would have to take it.

* * *

><p>Zarbon surveyed the wreckage and looked overhead, at the tree line. It wasn't a bad plan by any stretch of the imagination, but the boy was smart. Still, perhaps Zarbon was giving him too much credit. He was after all, a monkey, and not the son of a very bright one at that. He turned back to his troops who were busy making themselves scarce. He turned back to look at his handiwork, and folded his arms. "Did you send out the transmission?"<p>

"Yes sir, just an hour ago, sir."

Zarbon narrowed his eyes and shook his head. It wasn't going to be easy to capture the boy again. He knew his men were no match for him and he had been beaten down by the toddler less than a month ago. A humiliating defeat but as Lord Freeza reminded him a little humility now and then wasn't always a bad thing.

His plan was to lure the brat out of hiding with the news of a ship transporting his father by sending out the message of a crash landing to all the ships a within range of Anan. It had taken a while to set up, and days to calculate how far the boy's ship would have gotten, and to spread out the message wide enough to ensure it would be received. Although, there was still a rather large margin for error. And he couldn't be absolutely sure that SG002 would show up.

It was a chance he had to take though. Better to keep trying than to search the vast abyss of space looking for him. If this failed, he could always send out repeated messages, calling him out, and claiming to have his family hidden away somewhere. He could always bluff, and show a few videos of the boys in a few tests. Though if he was going to lure the boy to him, it was best if he came peacefully, rather than full of rage and looking for blood.

"Sir, several ships have responded to the distress signal…" A peon came forward. "We've run I.D. scans on all of them. None of them are from Earth or the Gliesian system. Do you want us to have them scanned more thoroughly?"

"Yes, of course. Don't let anyone through whose description doesn't match." Zarbon folded his arms. Though he doubted it would be any of them. Anyone who came and announced their presence to the ship was obviously just trying to worm their way into Freeza's good graces.

If the boy was going to come, he wasn't going to announce it. After all he had been taught by the best. Zarbon flicked a communicator open and looked at the transmissions coming in. There was no point in simply hanging around and waiting for him out in the open. He turned around and walked quickly and quietly back towards their ships that were waiting for them, cleverly concealed in the underbrush. Zarbon stepped through onto his ship and headed towards his chambers. If anything was going to happen, he'd be alerted for it.

* * *

><p>Goten always cried. The searing jolts of pain and burning sensations that happened every so often only served to make him cry harder. He had always been told by his father, and brother not to cry. Trunks had told him not to, and so had Vegeta. Especially Vegeta. But Goten couldn't help it. He felt so alone, and so afraid and hurt so badly, he could hardly stand it. And so, with no other alternative, he cried. He wept and extended his arms towards the orderlies, the guards, to anyone who passed, begging through tears to help him.<p>

His eyes were red and puffy and his nose ran freely, mixing with blood and sweat and plenty of fresh tears. Still no one stopped to help him. No one even spared him a second glance. There were no comforting smiles, no one to hold him and tell him it would be okay. Everyone was gone. His big brother Gohan was gone, maybe for good, and he hadn't seen his father or Vegeta in days. Sometimes he saw Trunks, but not very often.

The only people, who paid any attention to his cries of desperation, were the increasingly large aliens who were leased on him every so often. They bit and punched, and clawed, and hurt, and it all made Goten cry harder.

And they all told him to stop it.

Goten knew it was useless to cry. He knew it was useless to call out to someone, because no one would ever come to his rescue. No one ever did. And no one ever would. No matter how many tears he shed. No matter how many times he wailed into the darkness, no one came. There was no guardian angel, no hero to come swoop in and save him. There was only pain, and even that left him after a while. In the back of his mind Goten had started to cling to a small mantra.

_It goes away. It all goes away. The pain goes away. Just like everything else._

Just like everything else.

Goten coughed and sniffed through his tears, and looked up at another man wearing a doctor's mask. He was approaching him with something long and sharp and potentially painful looking, and his eyes betrayed nothing. He had no qualms with hurting Goten, and Goten knew that all too well. He shoved himself backwards into the wall, choking and gagging on his own tears and spit. He held up his hands in some feeble attempt at defending himself, but the sharp object found it's way to his chest, like all the others had. Goten let out a fresh cry of pain and collapsed on the floor, holding his chest.

No one came. No one would ever come.

Still Goten had to try.

He turned his head, and sobbed barely managing to open his mouth wide enough to form proper sentences. "Daddy!" He called, his voice breaking. "Daddy, save me!"

But no one did.

* * *

><p>Trunks didn't cry. He screamed and bit and fought, but never cried. He didn't want to cry, and he would never let himself cry. He didn't want to give the people staring at him as he thrashed and bit and kicked the satisfaction of seeing him cry. Because he knew it did make then satisfied. They were happy when he was broken, and stone faced when he wasn't and it made him even angrier.<p>

Though underneath the anger, and the thrashing, and the merciless biting he was really very, very, very frightened. He was terrified that the next thing they would bring would be the thing that killed him He was afraid of the pain that the purple liquid in the glass syringe would bring. He was afraid of the monsters that lurked behind the doors and tried to kill him every so often.

He had never told Goku, or Gohan that he was so afraid of so many things. He especially did not tell his father. His father had scolded him the last time he said he was afraid, and he had never brought it up since. The only person he had ever told was Goten. He could always rely on Goten for anything, ever since they had been near their infancy. They had been born into the life together, and knew each other better than anyone could possibly understand.

And now he didn't even have that.

Goten was gone. Gohan and Goku were gone. His father was gone, and he was all alone and so incredibly afraid.

Goten had taught him a lot of games to get over his fears, but none of them were useful with only one person, in a situation like this. Trunks had tried not to think about how afraid he was as the men around him poked him, and cut him, and hurt him crowded in tighter, like the petals of a flower, closing inwards. He tried to be angry, like his father told him to do. He tried to be brave, but no matter what front he put up, he was always just afraid.

Trunks screamed and flailed as the pain intensified for a few moments before it finally subsided and he could feel the promise of tears stinging at his eyes. He blinked them back and took a deep shuddering breath. He closed his eyes and tried to find some sort of peace in the reprieve. The pain still stung at him in a small after effect, but he managed to console himself with the pause.

That was when the idea occurred to him.

He took a deep breath again and closed his eyes. "One… two… three…"

The pain was back again, with a vengeance. Trunks really thought he'd lose it that time, and screamed in response, more tears trying to work their way out his tear ducts. He refused to let them win though. He would not cry. He would not let them know that he was scared!

The pain stopped and Trunks took another breath. "One, two, three, four, five…"

An electric shook stopped the words before he could even start the first syllable of the number six. A bit of drool splashed down his cheek, and he felt his eyelids betray him and give way to the tears which poured down his temples and flooded the notches of his ears. He stopped a whimper, and closed his eyes as tightly as he could.

"One, two, three, four, five…"

"What's it doing?"

"I don't know."

Trunks opened his eyes. It was the first time he had ever heard the people above him speak about him before. It was the first time he had ever heard them speak at all. He squinted his eyes shut again, and leaned back. "I'm counting." He whispered.

"Counting what?"

"To see."

"To see what?"

"If the storm is coming or going."


	15. Whatever is Begun in Anger Ends in Shame

Gohan stared up at the ceiling of the shuttle, tapping his foot against the metal frame of the doorway. He turned his head slightly to look over at Videl, who was piloting the shuttle they both sat in, her brow furrowed, heavy with concentration. He could tell she wasn't proficient with flying spacecraft, though she was better than he was. The shuttle they both sat in wasn't incredibly large, and looked like it was only meant to seat one. Which was why Gohan was stuck in the incredibly uncomfortable position he was in, lying on his back with his feet practically stuck in the air. He sighed and shifted a little from his position on the floor craning his head to look at Videl.

"How far are we?"

"Not very." She flipped a switch. "Maybe five minutes."

Gohan sat up a little bit, frowning. "That close?"

"We weren't that far to begin with." Videl looked back at him. "And we've been flying a few hours."

He looked back up at the ceiling and closed his eyes, tightly. He hoped that he wasn't too late. Freeza would react quickly, that was for sure. If he couldn't beat Freeza's army there, he would have to leave Videl by the shuttle, and go through them. With his father on his side and with enough preparation they would be able to bus the others out in no time at all. At least that was what he was hoping for. "You know, Vegeta always talked about escaping."

"I imagine you guys talked about escaping a lot."

"No, just Vegeta."

"Really?"

"Yeah, he liked to talk it up, and dad would always tell him to stop."

"Why?"

"I think he didn't want to get my hopes up. He always said to just focus on the training, to get stronger. I think he wanted me to make up my own mind. Instead of waiting to be rescued."

"That's… horrible and very touching at the same time."

"Well, like I said, I was a bit of a crybaby."

"I can't imagine that."

"You can't?"

"No, you seem very tough."

"Well, you should see me on a bad day."

Videl snickered a little bit and turned back to the controls. "Look, we're coming up on Planet Anan." She beckoned him forwards and Gohan managed to twist himself into a sitting position. He peered out the window, and smiled at the sight of the yellow planet they were coming up on.

"Do you think you can find the crash site?"

"Yep." Videl nodded, looking back at him. "They gave the coordinates. And it looks like we've beaten any army that would be coming."

"Either that or they've already been through." Gohan frowned.

"Well let's check it out anyways." She flipped a few switches. "If anything, we might at least find a few clues."

The ship lurches as they entered the atmosphere, and Gohan crossed his fingers, praying that they weren't too late, and that his father was still safe. The surface of the planet became more detailed as they got closer, and Gohan leaned forwards to scan the surface for any trace of his father's Ki. He could sense a few weak presences that he could only assume to be animals. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Still, he couldn't count his father out just yet. After all, he had been taught to hide his Ki at a very young age, and his father was much better at it than he was. And hiding himself was probably the smartest thing to do if Freeza was looking for him.

The shuttle hovered above the yellow tree line, and Gohan looked down at Videl, who was trying to guide the craft into a clearing.

"I've got us a few miles away from the crash." She said, looking up at him. "You know, just in case."

Gohan nodded as the shuttle finally landed, and he looked up out the window. "Good idea." He nodded. Videl pushed a button, and the door opened, making a loud creaking noise, and letting a pneumatic hiss as the pressure on either side, stabilized. Gohan managed to slide out the door, and Videl hopped out behind him. Gohan looked around him and turned back to his companion. "Which way now?"

Videl turned around past the shuttle and pointed into the trees. "That way." She started to walk, and Gohan ran to catch up to her.

"Videl, wait!" He caught her arm. "Maybe you should stay here. I don't know what's waiting over there."

"No way!" Videl turned to him, glaring. "I didn't come all this way just to give you a ride, Gohan." She put her hands on her hips. "I want to come."

Gohan had spent enough time with Videl to realize she wasn't going to be swayed on this decision. He turned towards the trees and searched the forest for any Ki that would pose a threat. He found none. He sighed and looked to her, nodding his head. "Alright, come on."

Videl smiled, obviously pleased she had won the argument before it had started, and began walking after Gohan. The two of them made their way through the underbrush; in the direction Videl had pointed them. For some reason, Gohan had a terrible feeling about this. He couldn't quite place it, but he was sure that something unpleasant was about to happen. Still, he didn't feel anything threatening, so he kept walking. He pushed away a branch, and wondered just how much farther they would have to walk, when he noticed something off. There were burn marks on the trees beside him, and plenty of broken branches. Something large and probably on fire had come through here, and Gohan had a feeling he knew what. He smiled a little and pushed his way through, climbing on fallen logs, until he reached what he was looking for.

A large smoking prison transport, lay in between the trees in a large recently made clearing. It was mangled, and looked like it had been broken apart from the inside. That was a good sign.

"Wow…" Videl avoided a patch of grass that was still burning and hopped over a few branches, walking up to the transport. "This thing is heavy duty... Something powerful broke out of here."

Gohan's eyes filled with tears and he placed a hand against the mangled metal. He smiled and rubbed his eyes. "Dad…" He turned to her. "Videl, this is great! This means Dad is somewhere on this planet!" He said, grabbing her hands and holding them up, a look of pure elation on his face.

Videl smiled. "So all we have to do is find him?"

"Yep!"

"I'm sure I can help you with that, SG002."

Gohan stiffened at the familiar drawl that came from the trees just a few feet away from him. His tail flickered and bristled and he turned around slowly. He closed his eyes and sighed, as he came face to face with Zarbon. He wasn't alone. Behind him was an army, and Gohan couldn't even see all of it. He felt Videl slide behind him, and he took a step in front of her. They had been too late.

"It's so good to see you again. After you punched a hole in my fleet, I had to regroup and trying to find you after that was quite a chore. It's very nice of you to come to us." Zarbon sneered, folding his arms over his chest and flicking his hair over his shoulder.

Gohan curled his fists. "Where's my father?"

Zarbon looked shocked, he leaned back a little bit and then began to laugh. "Your father?" He practically howled. "You stupid monkey!" He shook his head, and wiped an imaginary tear. "Your father was never here. Did you really think Lord Freeza would let another one of you out after your little escape?"

Gohan took a step back. He felt like he had been hit with a ton of bricks. "It was a trap…"

"Of course it was a trap, you stupid monkey." Zarbon laughed, tilting his head backwards.

Gohan lowered his head. How had that not been the first thing he had thought of? It was so obvious, now that he thought about it. He had been so blinded by the hope of seeing his father again, he had totally tuned out any other possibilities, and now he and Videl were both in a lot of danger.

"I wasn't expecting you to bring anyone with you though." Zarbon inspected his nails. "I guess you were able to make a friend, hm?"

"Leave her alone." Gohan snapped. "I'll go with you, if you promise to let her go." He held his hand out, in order to shield Videl, from the barrage of attacks he had a feeling were coming.

Videl gasped and grabbed his arm. "Gohan, no!"

Gohan looked back at her and smiled a little bit. "Don't worry about me." He nodded. "If you get back to Tienshinhan and the others, you can figure out a way to rescue us, right?" He whispered the last bit, but Videl didn't look the least bit comforted. Zarbon only laughed.

"Don't you get it? You're coming with us anyhow. I don't have to promise you anything. Besides, she and the others know far too much now." He took a step forwards. "We don't want them blabbing about our little Saiyans."

"They won't say a thing. Just let them go, Zarbon."

"I'm afraid I can't do that." Zarbon shook his head. "Oh but don't look so sad, SG002. Perhaps we'll take this one with us, and the two of you can give us another half-breed. Though, with you, it'd be a quarter breed wouldn't it? That might dilute the power, but it's worth experimenting with."

Gohan felt his blood begin to boil as Zarbon kept walking towards him. He clenched his fists, and adopted a defensive stance. If there would be no dealing then Gohan would fight all of them off by himself if he had to.

Zarbon stopped walking and sneered. "Or maybe, if you prefer, we'll just kill her now."

Gohan lost it. He launched himself at Zarbon, howling with rage. His fists didn't have time to connect, though. The second he had launched himself towards the alien, the army behind him sprang into action. Gohan was inhumanly strong, and more powerful than anyone in the group of aliens, but they had sheer numbers on their side. They rushed him, and Gohan felt the singe of blasters burning his skin and hair, and he was barely aware of the restraints being piled on him, pinning him down. It all happened too fast for him to deal with, and Gohan was left on the floor, his arms pinned to his side, and about twenty aliens trying to hold him down. He snarled and thrashed under them, but found it to be all in vain.

Zarbon was over him in a second, and he looked down, smirking. "Don't fight so much, SG002." He shook his head. "It'll be easier on all of us."

Gohan howled with anger, and kept trying to fight his way out of the bonds that held him down. Angry tears stung his eyes and he looked up past the aliens to the purple sky overhead. Zarbon was still talking about something or other and Gohan was trying his hardest to tune him out. He imagined the alien was gloating or teasing him and he wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of listening. He couldn't believe he had been fooled so easily. He couldn't believe he had been captured so easily. He was ashamed, and angry, and humiliated, and he wasn't sure what he was going to do. The aliens around him began to grab his shoulders and lift him upwards, and as they did Gohan's eyes caught sight of something large off in the distance. He blinked and squinted to get a better look at it, trying to make out what it was. Part of it was still blocked by the trees, but as he was lifted more, he finally realized what it was. The moon. The full moon to be exact.

He vaguely remembered Vegeta and his father saying something about the full moon, but he wasn't quite able to put his finger on what it was. He frowned trying to remember what they had said, when suddenly he felt his entire body lurch. He gasped and threw his head back as his body was rocked with involuntary spasms. His heart began to beat quicker, and he could practically feel it beating at his rib cage, like it was trying to rip its way out his chest. His tail stiffened and twitched, and suddenly, the restraints he was in were getting tighter. It was incredibly painful. He felt like his body was being torn apart, or something inside him was trying to claw its way to the surface. He felt like his very skin would rip apart, and he would explode from the pressure.

He tilted his head back, and tried to scream from the sheer amounts of pain he was in, as his heart beat quicker and more violently. The scream he tried to release only came out as a snarl, that he was frankly rather surprised he was capable of producing. The restraints were so tight now, he thought for sure they might squeeze him to death, and he howled again as the sound of ripping fabric came to his ears. Suddenly he was free, the tight restrains buckled around him, and there was more ripping as he fumbled to a standing position. He could hardly see anymore, his vision was clouded with a bright light that burned at his retinas, as he fumbled forwards, grabbing his head.

There was a sharp pain in his wrists and ankles that he identified as the shackles, and he felt blood begin to flow as they cut into his skin. He howled with pain, and grabbed at them, pulling as hard as he could, and to his surprise, they folded like paper, ripping under his hands. He raised his head and howled upwards, feeling a primal instinct welling up in his throat, like bile. He thought for a moment it would rip him apart, and he raised his hands upwards and howled again, as if the very act would alleviate the pain and the rage he was feeling. He had never felt so angry in his life, and in al honesty it felt good. He was pissed, and finally felt strong enough to do something about it.

He lowered his head, and grinned. He noticed his teeth felt larger than usual, but he still wasn't able to see much, and honestly it didn't bother him much anyways. He grinned wider as his vision completely clouded over, leaving him lost in his rage and his pain. And slowly, Son Gohan surrendered his mind entirely, to his anger.

* * *

><p>Videl couldn't help but scream as the guards rushed Gohan, shooting at him, and grabbing onto him, pinning him to the ground. She backed up into the wrecked prison transport shuttle, and held a hand over her mouth. She wasn't sure what to do; she had never been in a situation like this before.<p>

As they wrestled Gohan to the ground, Videl made an executive decision. She was not going to sit by and do nothing. She ran forwards, summoning an unstable ball of Ki to her fingertips. She ran forwards, extending her hand towards Gohan and the men pinning him down. Before she could reach him, a hand grabbed her wrist and pulled it upwards, sending her Ki flying forwards and crashing into one of the yellow trees. She gasped and looked up to see Zarbon holding her arm, and she struggled, pulling away for all she was worth. "Let go of me!"

"Don't put up a fight, stupid girl." Zarbon sneered. "It's best if you just cooperate."

Videl continued pulling away, turning to look at Gohan, who was struggling away from the aliens holding him down. She heard him suddenly let out a howl of pain, and she gasped, pulling towards him, reaching out. "Stop it! You're hurting him!"

Gohan's body was shaking, and his face was contorted in pain, broken strands of angry curses and cries of pain coming from his throat. The guards around him looked incredibly confused and looked up to Zarbon who just rolled his eyes, pointing towards the trees. "Take him back to the ship—"

Gohan lurched suddenly, and Videl gasped, taking a step back as he let out a growl of inhuman proportions. Gohan's body bulged and shifted, and his face was beginning to twist and stretch. Videl took another step back as Zarbon slowly let go of her hand, staring blankly at him. He quickly looked up, scanning the sky and cursed. "You idiots! The moon! I told you morons to do something about the moon!"

Gohan's hair was growing longer as his nose and mouth steadily elongated into a snout, and his body continued to grow larger, pushing against the restraints. Videl put a hand over her mouth as brown hair began to grow from every inch of his body, and the restraints ripped and snapped. "What's happening to him?" She barely croaked out, as Gohan pulled himself into a standing position.

He was already huge, and still growing. He howled in pain and anger, and tore at the cuffs around his wrists, shredding them like they were nothing, and Videl took another step, craning her neck to look up at the monster that had replaced the kind and caring boy who had dove into a battle to protect her only minutes ago.

Zarbon cursed and pointed to a few guards. "Take the girl! The rest of you! Bring that thing down! I don't care how you do it!"

Videl ran forward and grabbed onto Zarbon's arm. "Wait a minute! What's going to happen to him?"

Zarbon knocked her backwards into the arms of a few soldiers. He turned on her, and glared. "What happens to him is none of your concern. That thing isn't the boy you know, and will kill you without a second thought, so I suggest you do as you're told!" He turned away, and Videl struggled a bit as the guards pulled her backwards.

She reached for him, as he finally seemed to stop growing, a huge monstrous monkey left in his place. She felt her eyes fill with tears as she was slowly dragged out of sight. "Gohan!"

* * *

><p>Zarbon steadied himself as his guards finally managed to get the girl out of the area. He brushed himself off and looked at the giant oozaru who stood where the boy had been only seconds ago. He cursed, and watched as it swatted his men away like flies, sending them flying into trees, and bushes, smashing their brains in, or breaking them in half against the terrain. He had told them to do something about the moon, and the morons hadn't listened to him. They had cautioned him about what that would do to the planet and how they might get caught in it, but now they had the most powerful form the Saiyans knew of to deal with, and frankly Zarbon would rather be dealing with the gravitational distress. He scowled as the thing raised its head and howled, smashing its way through the trees, trampling his men and half his ships along with it.<p>

He noticed a few ships flying off into the distance, and he raised his feet off the ground, floating into the air, in order to better see the surrounding area. It had taken the thing about three minutes to decimate his entire army, and what was left of them were running or fleeing for their lives. Zarbon made a mental note to deal with the traitors later. He flew upwards, before stopping to hover at a height on par with the beast's head, and he raised one hand, summoning a ball of Ki to his fingertips. He summoned as much as he possibly could, packing as much power as possible into this one attack, he reeled his hand backwards and let it fly. The blast knocked into the back of the beast's head, and it stumbled forwards, before easily regaining its footing and turning on him. Zarbon's eyes widened as it reached forwards and grabbed him in its enormous hand, and pulled him forwards.

He could hardly scream as the air was quickly crushed from his lungs, and it tightened its grip on him. He felt more than a few of his bones crack, and shatter, and his mouth flailed in a soundless scream. Finally the thing pulled its hand back, and threw Zarbon to the ground with a force that created a crater the size of Freeza's flagship. He lifted his head off the ground and looked up as the beast turned around to lumber after a few more of his scurrying men, blasting the ground with powerful beams of Ki from it's mouth.

Zarbon forced himself to sit up, clutching his side, and raised another ball of Ki to his fingers. The beast had turned it's back on him, and that was a start. He knew that it was incredibly tough skinned and wouldn't go down easily, by any stretch of the imagination, so he had to hit a weak point. His eyes landed on its tail and he grinned, forcing himself to stand just enough to aim his Ki.

The blast hit it's target dead on, and the thing howled in response, falling to the ground, and blasting anything and everything it could get it its line of sight. Zarbon smiled, pleased with himself, and fell backwards onto the ground, his broken bones unable to support him any longer.

* * *

><p>Gohan woke up gradually. His vision swam with dark shadows and his bones felt as though they were made of jell-o. He wasn't quite sure where he was, or how he had gotten there for the longest time before his memory came back full force. He and Videl had been caught in a trap, he had looked at the moon and now… Now what? What had happened to him? He pushed himself up, and spat some of the dirt that filled his mouth, back onto the ground. He wrapped his arms around himself and noticed rather quickly that he was naked. His face flushed with embarrassment as he looked around to see if anyone had seen him, and that was when he saw the full scale of destruction. The forest they had been in was leveled for miles, and the ground was hewn with the corpses of Freeza's men. A few feet away from him, was an enormous crater, and burned and mangled ships littered the wreckage.<p>

He attempted to stand, but fumbled forwards onto his face again, his balance failing him. He wasn't sure what was wrong, but for some reason, he could hardly stand, let alone walk. He turned his head to look behind him, and his face paled as he suddenly understood exactly what had happened to him. His tail was barely hanging onto his body and was a bloody mangled mess. The hair was burnt and singed, and the flesh was marred and the bones were clearly disconnected. It wasn't till he saw it that the full scale of pain hit him.

He winced and reached back to touch the bloodied and useless appendage, before wrapping his hand around the base, where it was the most bloodied and ugly, and yanked it backwards ripping the flesh and bone alike. He screamed and instantly fell forwards, burying his forehead in the dirt as blood flowed freely from his lower back. He knew it was more dangerous to leave it on in that condition, and Saiyan tails were notorious for growing back. Vegeta's tail had grown back eight times in his stay with Freeza, and Gohan was sure his would return eventually, but for now, it was best to just get rid of it. He had nothing to cover or wrap it with, or anything to cover or wrap himself with, so he pulled himself along the ground, bleeding and unable to stand properly.

He pulled himself forwards, until he reached the cater and peered down into it. He blinked with surprise at the sight of Zarbon's broken and bloodied body in the center of it, and was even more surprised to see that not only was Zarbon still alive, but he was awake, too. Gohan pulled himself forwards, sliding downwards into the crater, rolling in the mud, and dirt until he reached the bottom. He grimaced and pulled himself up, before crawling over to where Zarbon lay. He hauled himself up to his knees, and grabbed the front of Zarbon's tattered shirt.

"Zarbon…" He coughed, blood filling his mouth, from some wound to the back of his head he didn't remember taking. "What happened here?"

Zarbon laughed a little, looking up at him. "What happened here?" He snorted, blood trickling down his cheek, as he choked a bit. "You fool…"

"Shut up!" Gohan said, pulling him upwards. "Tell me what happened! Where's Videl?"

"You happened, stupid monkey!"

"I…?" Gohan blinked leaning back.

"Didn't that father of yours ever tell you what happens when a Saiyan looks at the… full moon?" Zarbon choked out, grinning up at him. "I suppose you… must be proud of yourself…"

Gohan shook his head. "Shut up," He hissed. "I didn't do this."

"Oh, but you did."

"I couldn't have done all this! I don't remember!" Gohan pulled Zarbon up to him again, and the man choked and sputtered, spitting a mouth full of gore onto Gohan's chest. "Tell me where Videl is!"

"The girl…?" Zarbon shuddered. He laughed and it turned into a harsh cough. "Why she's… probably back with Freeza… by now…"

Gohan dropped Zarbon, in horror, and rocked backwards onto his backside, wincing at the pain it brought from his freshly severed tail. "No…" He held his face.

"That means… if you want to… see her again…" Zarbon spat more blood onto the floor. "You'll have to… go back…" He chuckled. "I did my job, after all…"

Gohan growled and leaned forwards grabbing his collar again. "I'm not going to let you…" His words died out as he looked at Zarbon's now lifeless face. He blinked a few times and shook him a bit. "Zarbon…?" He whispered, rolling forwards onto his hands and knees. He put a hand on his shoulders and shook him harder. "Zarbon! Answer me, dammit!" More angry tears filled his eyes, and he raised a fist and beat it against Zarbon's chest.

"No!" He screamed, beating Zarbon as hard as he could. "No! You don't get to die like this! After all you did to me, you don't get to just die!" Tears rolled down his face and he fell backwards, curling his knees in on himself. "Dammit…" He shook his head. "Videl… I'm so sorry." He flopped backwards onto his back, and closed his eyes, as tears streamed down his temple and his body shuddered from the cold, and from the events that had just unfolded.


	16. Strong Convictions Precede Great Actions

Gohan heard the ship before he saw it, and braced himself for what was coming. He knew it was Tienshinhan and the others, he just wasn't sure how he was going to explain what had happened. He barely managed to pull himself out of the crater he had left Zarbon in, and struggled to sit up, sliding against a rock. The wound to the back of his head was bleeding, and his tail was still a bloody stump, and without it, he just wasn't used to walking. He looked upwards, as the ship landed and lazily pulled his hands over his thigh, in some attempt to cover himself up.

He pushed himself up, and looked upwards mentally going over what he should say. Gohan knew he was going to take a lot of grief for allowing Videl to be captured, and he knew they weren't going to be so gracious towards him after he had put her in danger for a third time. Still, it was something they were going to have to deal with for a while longer, because he was not going to let them go save them without him. He swallowed hard, and stood up, as the ship's door opened, and the familiar forms of Yamucha, 17, 18 and Tienshinhan slowly appeared. They all were surveying the damage with Kuririn showed up behind them, and Gohan raised his head a little bit. He wasn't sure if he should call out to them, or wait to see if they noticed him first, but he didn't have to wait long before Yamucha pointed him out.

"Gohan!" He ran over, and got to his knees beside him as the rest of the crew came up to him and followed his example, except Tienshinhan and 18 who remained standing. Yamucha gave him a quick once over, and looked up at Gohan's eyes. "Gohan, what happened? Where's Videl? Why aren't you wearing any clothes?"

Gohan laughed a little at the last question as Yamucha removed his coat and slid it over his shoulders. He sighed and lowered his head. "We… found a transmission saying my father was here. She insisted on coming with me." He slid his arms through the jacket, and swallowed hard, trying to wet the back of his throat, which was incredibly dry from all the howling he'd done. "When we got here, it turned out to be a trap, set up by Zarbon. And then… something happened to me, and I don't know what. My whole body ached, and I… I couldn't see anything, but I was so angry…and then I woke up, naked, in the mud with my tail almost blown off. And… Videl was gone."

"Gone?" Yamucha looked sick. "Dead?"

"I don't think so." Gohan frowned. "When I questioned Zarbon, he said he sent her to Freeza, and if I wanted her back, I'd have to go back."

Tienshinhan stepped forwards. "Where is Zarbon?"

"In that crater." He nodded to it. "He died."

17 looked downwards and whistled. "I'll say he did. You don't get much deader than that."

"Shut up, 17."

Gohan lowered his head. "I'm so sorry… I'm so sorry for all this. She wanted to come, and I thought she'd be safe, but… I put her in so much danger, and I am so sorry for that." Gohan looked back up at the men plus woman who surrounded him. "But please, please take me with you. I want to save Videl. I want to save my mother, my father, my brother… Bulma and Vegeta and Trunks too!" He got to his knees. "I'm begging you."

"You better believe you're going to save Videl." Yamucha said, glaring down at him, and Gohan looked over, shocked.

"What?"

"You got her into this mess, and I'd kill you myself if you didn't plan on getting her out."

Gohan smiled a little bit, and nodded his head. "Right."

Tienshinhan folded his arms. "Gohan."

Gohan turned his head towards Tienshinhan, unable to move up from his knees. He felt a little cowed by the dark glare that was on the man's face, and he lowered his head a little bit, letting his smile fall. "Yes?"

"This is the third time you've put Videl in danger." All three of Tienshinhan's eyes narrowed, and Gohan cringed a little at the accusation. "We've raised that girl, we love her and take care of her, and we all hate seeing her in harms way." His glower became deadly serious. "And so, we're all going to go with you, to rescue her, but once we have… You have to leave. And you can never see her again."

Gohan's mouth ran dry, and he looked down at the ground. "I understand."

* * *

><p>Videl was almost a little insulted that they hadn't even bothered to restrain her, though they weren't afraid to hit her every single time she got out of line. She had been pulled onto the shuttle, as Gohan had transformed, and flown off deep into space without so much as an explanation or a brief pause to let her gather her wits about her. They had landed at least an hour ago, and they had surprisingly taken a long time to move her from there. For a while she was certain they would just shoot her in the head, but as time wore on and her head remained in tact, her wits and stubborn bravery began to show in the form of insults and impatient snappy remarks. Videl was sure she could take these clowns on, if they would just stop ganging up on her, and put down their guns, or gave her a gun in return. Still, she doubted Freeza's army wasn't very big on the 'even playing field' philosophy.<p>

It had taken them over an hour, and quite a lot of debating before the door to her small cell on the ship opened again, and Videl turned around to face the guards, folding her arms. "Alright, that's enough." She snapped, tilting her head up a little. "I want to know what happened to Gohan."

The guards all exchanged glances before walking in and reaching forward to grab her, and pull her forwards. Videl slapped their hands away, and threw a well-aimed sucker punch to one of their noses, causing him to take a few steps backwards, and she folded her arms again.

"I said, I want to know what happened to Gohan."

Her demand was met with the sounds of rifles charging and Videl grimaced a bit, and slowly allowed them to escort her out of her cell. It didn't mean she had to be happy about it, and she shoved their hands off whenever they tried to touch her, but she also did not want to get shot. She definitely wanted to live through this, and had a strong self-preservation instinct. The guards took her through the halls and she eventually ended at a large elevator. When it opened, one guard grabbed her shoulder, propelled her inside, and allowed the door to shut, leaving her trapped inside the very small space staring at the doors. She looked for some sort of control panel that usually accompanied elevators, but found nothing.

After a moment she began to wonder if it was an elevator at all, and not just some lousy circular prison cell. Her doubts were shaken however, when the thing began to move upwards, causing her to stumble back and grip the walls. It moved rather quickly, and ground to a halt even quicker, nearly throwing her off balance and knocking her to the floor. She pushed herself upwards, and steadied herself, as the doors spat themselves open and revealed a small dimly lit room, with several people talking in the middle. She took a few steps out, and blinked trying to adjust to the sudden lack of light when the three people in the room turned to look at her.

"Videl?"

Videl looked over at the first person who spoke and she suddenly broke out in a huge smile. "Bulma!" She gasped, and ran over, embracing the blue haired woman as tightly as she could. The woman hugged her back, and ran a hand through her hair before pushing her back to look at her.

"What are you doing here?" She looked back at the other two people in the room and smiled. "Chi! Look! It's Videl!"

Chi-Chi walked over, smiling widely, and put a hand on Videl's arm. "Videl, it's been so long… what… how did you get here?"

"I uh.. it's a long story…" She rubbed the back of her head, and looked behind Chi-Chi at the tall man who was standing behind her, looking a bit confused.

Chi-Chi turned around and beckoned him over. "Goku, come here, and meet Videl." She looked back towards Videl and smiled. "This is my husband, Son Goku."

The man walked forwards and held out his hand, which was clasped in a tight cuff, like Gohan's had been. Only his were chained together as were his ankles, and the cuff was much larger. He smiled at her and it reminded her of Gohan instantly. "Hi there! Chi-Chi's told me about you, but I don't remember any of it. Aren't you supposed to be on a ship somewhere?"

Chi-Chi looked appalled and slapped him lightly on the shoulder, and Videl just shook his hand and nodded. "Yeah…" She said, a little awed. "You're Gohan's dad, huh?"

All was quiet in the room before Chi-Chi spoke up. "You … know Gohan?"

Videl looked at all three faces who were staring at her expectantly, and she nodded slowly. "Yeah… like I said it's a really long story." She said, sighing. "He found us a while ago, and we had been helping him out, so we could find you guys, and save you, but… me and him got caught in a trap."

"A trap?" Goku folded his arms. "What kind of trap?"

"Something Zarbon set up." She sighed. "I don't know if he's okay, or if they caught him, or what…" She stared down at the floor. "Something happened to him before they took me. He started changing… into some giant monster. "

"Did he look at a full moon?"

Videl looked up at Goku who had folded his arms. She blinked and thought back, and vaguely remembered the moon being quite high in the sky, when they had landed. "I think so… I'm not sure."

"The Oozaru transformation."

"The what?"

"It's a transformation Saiyans undergo when they look at the full moon. But only when they have their tails, which means I don't have to worry about it." He explained, patting the small of his back. "My tail got removed ages ago…" He frowned and then it quickly faded into a smile. "I guess I forgot to explain it to him! Whoops!"

"Whoops?" Chi-Chi gasped, hitting Goku on the head with a knitting needle. "Our son could be dead! And all you can say is whoops?"

"Ow! It's okay, Chi-Chi!" Goku defended, wincing away from the woman's knitting appliances. "Saiyans are ten times as strong in the Oozaru form! There's no way he'd lose like that! I'm sure he's fine!"

"You can't know that!"

Videl smiled a little at the display and Bulma shook her head. "Can we get back on topic here?" She asked sighing. "Weren't you telling us about Freeza?"

"Hm? Oh yeah…" Goku sighed. "I already told you he took the boys… and I'm not sure what he plans to do with them."

Videl frowned. "The boys?"

"Our sons." Bulma looked over. "Our youngest children."

Videl looked down at the ground. "He took them?"

"And refuses to let Vegeta or myself see them." Goku shook his head. "We've been training harder, lately, since that's just about all we can do, but… We're not sure how we're going to get them back, or what's going to happen."

Videl clenched her fists tightly, and looked down at the floor. "Gohan will come though."

They all looked over at her, and Bulma frowned putting a hand on her shoulder. "Videl, I don't know how close you got to Gohan but… if he comes back, he'll just get captured again."

"Bulma is right." Goku sighed a little. "He's strong, but not strong enough to take on Freeza and everyone else in this base."

"He's coming." Videl looked up. "And he is strong enough, I know he is." She looked down at the floor again, biting her lip. "He talked about coming back anyways, and I know he's not just going to stay away because he's scared of Freeza."

Goku put a hand on her shoulder and she looked up at him, wiping her face off. His hand was heavy, and engulfed her entire shoulder, and something about his touch made her feel much safer, even though she was in the heart of enemy territory. He smiled at her. "I hope you're right, Videl." He grinned, nodding.

She smiled and nodded back, and Bulma folded her arms across her chest. "Well, now that we've got a rescue party on the way, I guess we can relax huh?" She chuckled a little bit, and looked to Chi-Chi who was smiling fondly at the mention of her son. Bulma turned back to Videl and shifted one hand to her hip. "So, tell me, Videl. How's that sorry crew of ours doing?"

"They're all fine. We never stopped looking for you, even after all these years." Videl nodded.

Bulma's smile fell a little bit. "How's Yamucha?"

Videl shook her head. "He was upset when he heard about you and that prince guy…"

"Gohan told you about that, then?"

"Yeah, he said you had a son together, and loved each other."

"Well, that's true." Bulma sighed, and folded her arms. "I hope he doesn't freak out…"

"I'm sure Yamucha will be fine."

"Not Yamucha, Vegeta." Bulma looked back at Videl, blushing a little.

"It's true." Chi-Chi shook her head. "Vegeta is a bit over protective, and much more reliable than my husband."

Goku looked over, as if he had been tuning out the conversation till then. "What? Oh that's not fair, Chi-Chi! I haven't had a whole lot of chance to be good husband! I've been in prison!"

"Vegeta's managed. He and Bulma are getting married, you know. He's quite attentive." Chi-Chi teased, smiling.

"But we're already married!" Goku exclaimed. "We can't get married again! Besides, Vegeta didn't even know what married was!"

"Neither did you."

"He thought it was something you buy."

"You thought it was food."

Goku turned a bright shade of red and Bulma and Videl laughed a bit at the spectacle. He sighed and rubbed the back of his head. "Jeesh, when Vegeta is being a better husband than me, I guess I need to do better."

"Yes, you certainly do." Chi-Chi turned around, and crossed her arms, smiling a little bit.

"Oh! I have an idea! I'll stay up here, longer and we can all eat together!"

"Goku!" Chi-Chi turned around putting her hands on her hips. "Food is not the solution to everything!"

Videl smiled as Goku continued to be oblivious as to the issue, and crossed her arms. She sighed, and looked over towards the window and wondered if Gohan had gotten away alright, and if he had, what he was doing now. She had a feeling the rest of the crew wouldn't be happy with him, but hopefully they would save the scolding and lectures until after she was rescued.

* * *

><p>"Lord Freeza!" Another nameless peon rushed into the room, dropping to his knees, and placing one fist on the ground. "We've received the report from Zarbon's mission."<p>

Freeza turned around in his floating chair, and leaned backwards. A report, finally. It had nearly been a month, and this had gone on far too long. He was considering scrapping the project entirely, and sending a demolition team to find and terminate SG002 at all cost. But if Zarbon had finally sent in a report, there might be no need. "Well? What is it?"

The peon swallowed hard, and that was never a good sign. It usually meant bad news. Freeza tensed and leaned forward. Zarbon would never send a report of failure, so something else had gone wrong. "Zarbon has failed to capture SG002, Lord Freeza."

"What?" Freeza quirked an eyebrow. Zarbon HAD sent a report of failure! He narrowed his eyes and glared, leaning back into his chair. What the hell could have possessed him to do such a thing? Was Zarbon, his second in command, really conceding defeat? Freeza glared at the peon and clenched the sides of his chair. "What the hell do you mean, failed?"

"SG002 was not captured on planet Anan, but one of his accomplices was."

"I don't care about the accomplices!" Freeza was nearly hollering. "Bring Zarbon here, I want a word with him!" He snapped. "If he thinks he can appease me by sending me a worthless piece of trash, then he's sorely mistaken."

"Zarbon is dead, Lord Freeza."

There was absolute dead silence in the room, and Freeza leaned forwards, almost unable to believe his ears. "What did you guys say?"

"Zarbon… has been killed." The peon spoke as evenly as he could, refusing to take his eyes off the floor. "By SG002. His entire army has been demolished. The only ones who escaped were the ones who brought his accomplice to us."

"SG002 killed Zarbon." Freeza echoed.

"Yes sir."

Freeza flopped back into his chair, and looked up at the ceiling. "Put everyone on alert." He said, glaring up at the domed ceiling. "I want SG002's head in front of me within the next forty eight hours."

"Sir… Zarbon was a valuable commodity, but I believe…"

"This is not about Zarbon, you moron." Freeza sat up straight again. "SG002 has clearly surpassed my expectations, I absolutely cannot allow him to continue on, free." He said, running a finger along the rim of his chair. "He either serves me, or dies. And he has made his intentions clear, and so therefore he must die. Do you understand? Or do you need a demonstration?"

"No, sir." The peon spoke quickly. "I will send out everyone we can spare to bring his… head to you ."

"Very good." Freeza smirked, leaning back. "Now, go."

The peon scampered out of the room, and Freeza turned around to stare at the monitor. He glared, and folded his arms. Even if SG002 had been able to kill Zarbon, he still stood no chance at all against him, but the fact that he had the gall to defy Freeza, and kill his second in command was not going to be left unpunished. SG002 would have to die, and that was all there was to it.


	17. The Drumming Noise Inside Us All

**(Remember when I updated this daily? Yeah, that's gonna start again. Otherwise this will rot in my brain forever. And I refuse to let that happen.)**

* * *

><p>It felt like it had been ages since Gohan had been in this quadrant of space. He sat on a metal bench in the hallways as the ship made its way through the darkness towards Freeza's base planet. They had all agreed to do it as stealthily as possible, though there wasn't going to be a whole lot of chance for them to make it through undetected. The rest of the crew honestly believed there was some chance that they could simply land on the planet, and sneak through, rescue Videl and the others and then sneak back out. They had all assured him that Kuririn was very good at what he did, though Gohan knew that no matter how much skill their pilot had, it would make no difference. They would be spotted, and they would be attacked en masse, and the likelihood of them surviving wasn't as high as the others seemed to think it was. He had tried to talk them out of it, but little had come from it.<p>

Gohan sighed and leaned into his folded fingers, pressing them up against the bridge of his nose. He wasn't sure what he was going to do. Tienshinhan had made it perfectly clear that as soon as they were rescued, Gohan would have to make himself scarce. He had a feeling his father and Vegeta would go along with him, and that would bring Gohan and Trunks too. The part where it got hazy was with Bulma and Chi-Chi. He was sure that they would both want to stay with the fathers of their children, along with their children, but the crew was bound to want them back as well. In the end, that would have to be a decision they made.

Still, the thought of never seeing Videl again bothered him. The two of them had grown very close, through training. He had told her things he hadn't even told his father. Things that Freeza had put him through, tortures he had endured alone. He had opened up and poured his heart out to her, and now he had gotten her captured, and was probably never going to see her again. He squeezed his eyes shut, and held his open palms against his forehead.

"We'll be there soon."

Gohan didn't even look up as Yamucha walked up and stood in front of him. He nodded and stared at the floor. "Where do you plan on landing?"

"A remote little forest in the-"

"I want you to drop me on the front landing pad."

Yamucha took a step back, looking a little bit surprised by the sudden outburst. "You want to… what?"

"Drop me on the front landing pad. And then fly away, act like you're leaving orbit, and land somewhere else."

Yamucha glared and folded his arms. "No, Gohan. You said it yourself, even if we do hand you over, they're not going to let us go."

"No, but you're not going. They'll think you left the planet, send out hundreds of ships after you, and that will get a good amount of guards out of our hair."

A small light seemed to click on in Yamucha's brain. "Gohan, that's brilliant! But… What about you?" He asked, looking the Saiyan hybrid over a few times. "What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to keep the focus on me. Bash my way through, make my way to my father and Vegeta, and free them. They're incapable of stealth, but extraordinarily powerful. We'll create a ruckus, and you guys can slip in, grab all the girls, and slip out." Gohan smirked a little bit, and set his hands onto his hips. "Don't worry about us, either. We Saiyans are strong."

"But what about Freeza?"

"What about him? With all five of us together, my family, Vegeta's family… and Zarbon dead, he won't stand a chance."

That was a blatant lie. It was true the five of them were powerful, but for every stride they made towards power, it seemed that Freeza made two ahead of them. Still, if they ran fast enough… Gohan wasn't even sure if that was going to work. However, just because it seemed absolutely hopeless didn't mean that Gohan was just going to give up. He wasn't going to leave Videl with Freeza. He wasn't going to let that mad man torture his family anymore. It all ended today, and Gohan was not going to settle for anything less than freedom. Permanently. Even if that permanent freedom came in the form of death.

"Are you sure about this, Gohan?"

"Not a bit." Yamucha stared for a few moments and Gohan blinked, looking over at him, before laughing and putting a hand behind his head. "You know that feeling when someone asks you a question you weren't expecting them to ask and you accidentally answer honestly?" He laughed nervously. "That just happened."

Yamucha walked over and looked him up and down. "You don't expect to come back?"

"Tienshinhan made it clear I can't, anyhow. I might as well put my all into this." Gohan sighed and gripped the fabric of his pants. "I'll miss all of you."

Yamucha sighed and folded his arms. "Well, we'll probably miss you too. Even though you eat too much. And put Videl in constant danger. And are a pretty bad mechanic."

"Wow, thanks Yamucha." Gohan sighed. "It's not like I'm about to go to my potential death or anything."

Yamucha put a hand on his head and smiled a little. "Well I suck at these sort of things so… I guess you'll just have to deal with it. Go wait in the cargo bay. I'll let everyone else know about your plan, and then I'll come by to open the hatch to let you jump out."

Gohan looked up at him and nodded before standing. "Thank you, for everything, Yamucha. I'm very grateful." He then turned on his heel and ran as quickly as he possibly could towards the cargo bay. He had felt the Ki's of Freeza's army, as well as the overwhelmingly destructive Ki of Freeza himself for the past few minutes and knew they were getting close to the planet. Gohan sighed and slowed to a halt in the cargo bay, which was still decked out in all of Gohan and Videl's training equipment. There were a few dents that marred the walls from their sessions together and Gohan ran his hand over the metal, smiling at the fond memories. He walked down the steps towards the large metal hatch in the floor and took a deep breath. He had planned to roam around space a while longer, to get stronger. He didn't want to face Freeza today.

Gohan laughed and looked down at his hand. "Look at me…" He whispered. "I'm shaking." He shook his head. "Father would be disappointed. I know Vegeta would be."

The terrifying presence grew closer and with every mile of distance that the ship traveled Gohan could feel his resolve wavering. He wasn't sure what he was going to do, and he was scared out of his mind. The thought of dying, or worse his family dying hung over his mind like a rain cloud.

"Gohan!"

Gohan looked up at Yamucha who stood on the railing above Gohan's head. He was standing next to a console, and Gohan took a deep breath, and tried to give his best convincing smile that he hoped said: "I'm not gonna die!" Though he wasn't sure if that was what came across his trembling features.

Yamucha frowned and seemed to notice. "Are you ready?"

"No." Gohan said turning back to the hatch. "Let's do it."

"Gohan…" Yamucha sighed. "Remember what we said about being a martyr."

"You're only a martyr if it kills you." Gohan looked as the hatch made a loud hissing noise and began to slowly slide open. "I never go into a battle planning to die."

"Good, cause I'll know if you do, and I won't be happy."

Gohan felt a genuine smile creep across his face and he looked down at the terrain speeding past them, slowing steadily until it finally came to a halt above the large circular landing pad. He decided not to look back, as he bent his knees and grinned. "Bye Yamucha." And with that, he jumped from the spacecraft.

The fall was a short one, and Gohan's Ki surged through him, lifting him upwards to slow his decent as he landed on the smooth stone below him. Part of him felt immensely satisfied at the amazed looks that he prompted from the hundreds of soldiers that lined the landing pad. He looked back up as the hatch slowly closed over him and the ship sped off, not wasting a second there, for which Gohan couldn't exactly blame them. He looked back at the assorted soldiers and put his hands on his hips. He cleared his throat and spoke as loudly as he could. "I am Son Gohan! Subject SG002!" He jabbed a thumb at his chest and grinned, before taking a step forwards.

"I've come to give myself up."

All of the soldiers instantly and visibly relaxed, looking around at each other, confused. He could hear them whispering to one another and he held both his hands out, curling his fists and holding his wrists next to one another. "Here, come and take me to Freeza. I've decided to stop running."

One soldier reached behind him cautiously and unclipped a pair of metal handcuffs, which nearly made Gohan want to scoff. There was no way those things would be strong enough to hold him, though it wouldn't matter. He kept his hands extended as the group of soldiers all cautiously took a few steps towards him. They all crept towards him, like skittish cats who were being tempted with a smoked fish, and Gohan remained perfectly still as they approached. It took nearly fifteen minutes for them to get close enough, but finally they had circled him so tightly they were within reaching distance.

"Someone…" One of them said, raising a blaster as steadily as he could. "Someone go tell Freeza… Go tell Freeza that subject SG002 has returned and surrendered."

One soldier was all too eager to break away from the group to run back, but Gohan spoke up, calling after him. "After you tell him I've given up tell him I said one more thing!"

The soldier looked back curiously, and raised an eyebrow. "What?"

Gohan grinned and folded his hands over his chest, in an 'x'. "Just kidding." His Ki burst at his fingers tips giving his hands an unnatural glow. "Masenko!"

* * *

><p>Gohan wasted absolutely no time in running after he had bashed through the guards that had attempted to stand in his way. For as powerful as Freeza was, his army sure wasn't made up of anything terribly special. It often seemed to Gohan that only the elite were actually strong enough to pose any sort of threat, and there weren't that many of them. Gohan sighed and made his way through the large compound, shaking his head. He didn't even remember killing Zarbon, so any strategies were lost, and he could feel Freeza's power deeper within the large building. He was surprised that it wasn't moving, like Freeza expected him to come to him. He tried to count his blessings as best he could, but it just didn't sit well with him at all. He did his best to follow the trails of Ki of his father and Vegeta. He stretched out his senses as best he could searching for any sign of Goten and Trunks, but found nothing. He felt his stomach churn at the thought but suppressed it. There was no way that Freeza just killed them. There had to be another explanation.<p>

A few more soldiers dove in front of him to try and block his path, but a quick blast of Ki quickly deterred them, sending them flying in every which direction. There was no challenge in beating down Freeza's low-level flunkies, and Gohan was silently grateful. If getting to his father was going to be this easy, he wouldn't have a hard time of it at all.

But things were never that easy. And Gohan was certainly never that lucky.

"Well, well, well… Our lost little monkey finally made his way back home."

Gohan froze and dug his heels in, pulling himself to a halt. He turned around, and looked over at the source of the voice, and he snarled. "Dodoria." He spat a sort of greeting.

The pink spiked alien laughed, putting his hands on his hips. "If it aint SG002. You've been causing quite a commotion, you know."

"What can I say?" Gohan narrowed his eyes. "I just happened to enter the rebellious phase of my adolescence."

"You sure did, and boy. Lord Freeza isn't happy with you one bit." Dodoria took a few steps forward. "You know he ordered for your head to be brought to him. He's so angry he's literally ready to kill you."

"Spare me, Dodoria. Why don't you run on back to Freeza? You can't face me."

"You think not, you pathetic monkey hybrid?"

"I killed Zarbon." Gohan glowered, bearing his teeth. "I didn't even try to. Just happened."

"So I heard. Unfortunately for you, kid, there's no full moon here. You won't have your transformation to help you here."

"I won't need any transformation to beat you."

"That's where you're wrong, punk." Dodoria grinned, raising a hand allowing it to glow with raw energy. "You're gonna die here." And with that he opened fire. The Ki scorched the ground, burning through steel and concrete, melting glass and stone alike. It would have obliterated anyone standing in its path. But Gohan wasn't standing in its path; he was in fact standing behind Dodoria, watching him blast away at the ground. The giant pink alien finally finished his assault and cracked his neck loudly in the newfound silence. Dodoria spun around, and though he was clearly shocked that Gohan had not only dodged but also gotten behind him, he was still able to throw a punch.

Gohan caught his fist as it flew and twisted it down, pulling the alien closer and pushing his palm up against Dodoria's stomach. He felt Dodoria squirm and start to panic as Gohan built up the Ki in his fist.

"Way—Wait!" Dodoria pleaded. "Please, don't kill me! I can help you! I can help you defeat Freeza! Please, SG002! Don't!"

Gohan closed his eyes, and the Ki in his hands reached sweltering temperatures. "My name… is Son Gohan." He said quietly and the Ki ripped through Dodoria like a paper crane, and Gohan felt blood, the blood that he no longer feared, seep onto his hands. He dropped Dodoria, and looked down at the dark red liquid that stained his gloves up to his elbows.

"I guess Freeza succeeded in making me a murderer after all." He shook his head and turned away, running down the hall again, following the feel of his father's Ki. He was getting much closer and soon the scenery began to look familiar. It was the hallway he had been lead down so many times in shackles, towards the cell he had reluctantly began to think of as home. But not any more. This time he ran towards it, with freedom in mind, and that gave him a whole new sense of renewed purpose.

He finally found himself in front of the large heavy-duty door he had been faced with so many other times, and grinned at the sight of it. He had hated that door for a long time, and he had a feeling taking it apart would probably be the most satisfying thing he had ever done. He reached up and grabbed the large handle that connected to all seven of the locks and put all his weight and strength into pulling backwards. The metal began to creak and groan as the strain he put on it finally started to stretch the metal of the locks. Gohan took a few steps back and held up two fingers, closing one eye to aim at the heavy bolts, which held the door in place. It took exactly eight well-aimed blasts to eat through every lock, and one of the hinges, and Gohan reached forwards and gave the handle a small tug. The door collapsed outwards and he took a few steps back to avoid being crushed.

"Gohan?"

Gohan stepped up onto the doorframe and smiled as he peered into the darkness. "Hi dad. Hi Vegeta." He grinned from ear to ear. "I'm back."

It took Goku all of two and a half milliseconds to run over and pull his eldest son into the tightest embrace of his life. "Gohan!" He exclaimed, as Gohan choked on the chains that were nearly suffocating him. Goku pulled away from him and put his hands on his son's shoulders. "Gohan look at you… Wow, I can't believe it!"

"You idiot."

Gohan peered around his father and smiled warmly. "Good to see you too, Vegeta."

"You absolute moron. Why did you come back?" Vegeta walked forwards, folding his arms, rustling the chains. "Only a fool walks back into the arms of slavery after he's been freed."

"I'm not back like that." Gohan said, looking up at his father. "If you didn't catch the hint from me busting the door down, I'm breaking everyone out."

Vegeta walked over, and circled him, stopping at his back. "What the hell happened to your tail?"

"Hm?" Gohan looked back. "I don't know, actually… I think Zarbon blasted it off." He sighed. "It should grow back soon, though, right? I don't like not having it."

"Whatever." Vegeta snapped. "Look, stop standing there being all sentimental, we have work to do."

"Right." Gohan nodded, stepping back. "Where are the boys?" Goku sighed and Gohan's face fell. "Oh god… no." He took a step back. "He didn't!"

"Relax, idiot." Vegeta rolled his eyes. "They're both alive, we just have to find them. Now, dumb and dumber, if you're going to come with me, feel free. I'm going to find my son."

Gohan smiled and nodded. "Right." He looked to his father who was looking perplexed as usual. "Come on, dad. Goten is waiting for us to save him."

"Wait, I'm confused."

"Surprise, surprise." Vegeta rolled his eyes, reaching down and snapping the chains off his cuffs like they were made of plastic and not heavy steel.

"What?" Gohan asked, tilting his head a little bit.

"Am I dumb or dumber?"

"Oh for the love of god!" Vegeta snapped. "Just get rid of those chains and let's go!"

"Right, right." Goku snapped the chains off his own cuffs and looked towards his son. "Alright, we'll go save your little brother now. I think he's waited long enough."

Gohan nodded. "Me too." He turned around towards the hallway to see if Vegeta was ready to go, but the prince of Saiyans was already bolting down the hall. Gohan gasped and ran to catch up. "Vegeta! Wait for us!"

The three of them ran through the hall of the compound, throwing off any guard who dared to cross their path, or who was gutsy enough to actually try and stop them. Gohan's thoughts remained fixed on Goten, reaching out with his Ki to try and find his baby brother. He could only feel faint flutters of Goten's Ki and occasionally he got something from Trunks, but all in all it did not bode well to him at all. He knew they were getting dangerously close to where Freeza lay in wait for them, but Vegeta didn't seem to care. In fact, the closer they got, the more excited the prince of Saiyans seemed to get. Gohan's heart was up in his throat, and he felt incredibly small and insignificant compared to the monstrous Ki they were getting so much closer to. He swallowed hard, but found even that task to be difficult.

He wanted to call for Vegeta to stop as the neared the huge pair of double doors that signaled the imminent approach to Freeza's audience chambers, but he knew there was no stopping what was coming now. Vegeta and his father both places two well-aimed blasts at each door, which knocked them open and nearly off their hinges as all three Saiyans burst into the huge hall.

"Well, that was rather rude." Freeza didn't even look the least bit perturbed by their sudden presence. "You know, you could try knocking." He tilted a wine glass around in his hands, swirling the thick contents. "Then again, I suppose I can't expect much from such base creatures as Saiyans."

"Oh, shut up, Freeza." Vegeta walked forwards, taking an offensive stance. "You're going to hand my son over to me, now."

Freeza paid absolutely no attention to the Saiyan prince and instead looked past him, at Gohan who was feeling the full effects of the smothering Ki. "SG002. It's been a while." He leaned into his hand. "Congratulations on killing Zarbon. It's quite a feat."

"Not really." Gohan lowered his head, glaring up through his eyelashes.

"Don't be so modest. It's impressive. You know, you progressed the furthest in the least amount of time. Which was a good thing too, because otherwise I'd have had to kill you after you failed the first plan I had for you."

"The first… what?" Gohan looked up and Goku put a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't listen to him, Gohan. He's just trying to get under your skin."

"What?" Freeza smirked. "Didn't you wonder why I suddenly decided to place you in the same training as your father? I hadn't planned to originally." He leaned further into his hands. "No, my original plans for you were much greater, though I found it fortunate you grew into your role with your stupid father so well."

"What are you talking about?" Gohan snapped, taking a step forwards.

"You were a failed experiment, SG002. That's what I'm talking about. You were too old when we started, even though you were just a child, your mind was far too developed. Which I find ironic, seeing as you're nothing more than a filthy monkey half breed."

"My… brain was too…?" Gohan shook his head. "You're a maniac!" He snapped. "Just what were you experimenting on me with?"

"We were going to make you into the perfect weapon. You're incredibly strong, SG002. I'm legitimately impressed with your strength. Given a few years, you could even surpass me." Freeza looped a finger around the rim of his wine glass. "You had an incredible power from such a young age, I desperately wanted that power to serve me and only me. I wanted your absolute loyalty."

"Start talking sense, you freak!" Gohan stepped forwards.

Freeza glared down at him. "You fool. I am speaking quite clearly, its not my fault your stupid monkey brain can't understand me." He sighed and stood up. "So, like I said, I wanted your absolute undying loyalty… but unfortunately the drugs we were putting into you weren't doing the trick. They wouldn't take. They made you highly suggestible, and incredibly violent, but after a few tests it was clear that all the drugs were doing were mildly suppressing the effects of your amygdala. You became wild, unable to be controlled." Freeza took a sip of the alcoholic beverage he held. "You'd kill anything that stood in your way. Of course, that has its uses too. So I decided to place you in the same training as Vegeta, and your father. To slowly get you used to the idea of killing things. So it'd be that much easier when we activated the drug."

"Activated…?" Gohan took a step back.

Freeza pulled out a small black device from his pocket and examined it lazily. "You know, SG002, it wasn't entirely pointless. I mean, you did serve as the basis for my work with the other children. And this time, we started much younger, so it was much, much easier."

"Other children…" Vegeta's head snapped upwards. "You bastard… what the hell have you done to my son!"

"You know, Vegeta." Freeza finally turned his attention to the Saiyan prince. "It's sad, really. I had hoped you could become one of my most powerful weapons. But now that you've turned on me I have no choice but to scrap the three of you and cut my losses."

"Scrap us?" Goku took a step forwards. "I'd like to see you try!"

"Me?" Freeza looked appalled. "No, no, no, filthy monkey. I'm not going to stoop down to fight with you."

"Then who?" Gohan snapped. "I killed Zarbon and Dodoria!"

Freeza made a big show of sighing and twirling the device in his hands. "You know, I wish you'd pay attention when I spoke. I don't like repeating myself and I literally just explained it to you." He pointed the strange device directly at Gohan and smirked. "I'm not going to fight, because you're doing to do it for me." He clicked a small button on the device and turned to leave the room. The door slammed shut behind him, and Gohan saw Vegeta and his father turn around to look at the other doors, which were suddenly blocked with a large metal door.

"We're sealed in." Goku noted, looking around. "What's he expect us to do? Eat each other?"

"With you that might not take long, Kakarot."

"Hey, come on, Vegeta! Give me more credit than that!"

Gohan stopped listening as they continued to bicker. He frowned and looked straight ahead and thought on what Freeza could have possibly meant by what he said. He sighed and rubbed the back of his head as his father and Vegeta continued to argue. Gohan frowned and realized he suddenly had no trouble tuning them out, because there was a loud booming pounding sound that was filling the room. Like something big and heavy was walking their way. His head snapped up, and he looked around for the source of the noise, but his search revealed nothing. He looked to his father and Vegeta who were _still _arguing, and frowned. "Don't you hear that?"

"Hear what?" Goku turned to him.

"That…. Pounding noise." The aforementioned sound was slowly getting louder and quicker and it was starting to give Gohan a headache.

"What noise?" Vegeta frowned.

"That pounding!" Gohan glared. This was hardly the time for jokes. There was no way in hell they couldn't hear it. He had to shout over it now; it was so loud and so quick. Like someone was pounding on a drum right beside his head. "It's practically deafening!" He hollered, putting his hands over his ears.

"Gohan… Take it easy." His father's words were quickly lost to the pounding, and Gohan covered his ears as if that would make it stop. It kept getting louder, and louder, and quicker and quicker and for a few moments, Gohan was sure that he'd go insane from the sheer volume. He dropped to his knees, covering his ears, and gripping at the sides of his head as the splitting headache grew.

The noise showed no sign of letting up, or quieting even a little bit and it was starting to piss him off. He scowled and pulled at his hair, as it grew louder and faster. "Shut up!" He hollered. "Stop it! Just stop it!"

But the noise paid no heed to his desperate cries, and he clawed at his scalp, raking bloody gashes into his forehead. The sound was getting steadily more maddening and Gohan couldn't take it anymore. He stood up and screamed, his Ki surrounding him, blinding him, much in the same way that bizarre transformation had, back on the planet Anan.

He hollered as loudly as he could, trying to drown out the horrifying noise. He thrashed, and kicked, and lunged, trying to find the source. He felt flesh beneath his fingers, and blood filled his mouth as he bit down, trying to maim, trying to kill the source of that awful noise. He continued to throw himself into the madness, biting down, and blasting everything he could feel with his Ki. Still no matter how hard or how long he fought or struggled, the sound prevailed.

Finally, all was still in the room. Nothing moved, nothing spoke, and neither did he. And yet still that horrible pounding noise knocked at his ears, driving him insane. He reached up to grab his head, when his fingers brushed past his neck. And suddenly everything made sense.

He knew what the noise was. He knew exactly what that damn noise was!

It was his heartbeat.

And now all that was left was to make it stop.

Forever.


	18. The Best Part about Leaving

Goku walked over and knocked on the steel that kept them trapped in the large audience chamber as Vegeta watched him scrutinizing him with angry eyes.

"What the hell are you doing, Kakarot?"

"Looking for a way out."

"A way out? You think knocking will get us out?"

"Well what's your plan, then?" Goku turned, putting his hands onto his hips, angrily. "Start blasting around? It'll ricochet and kill us all."

"I say we wait."

"Wait?"

"Freeza's too dramatic to kill us off by letting us starve to death. He's going to send someone in here, to fight us. So we kill that person, and move on."

"Wow…" Goku frowned letting his arms drop to his side. "Good thinking, Vegeta!"

"Not really, you moron…"

"Don't you hear that?"

Both men turned towards Gohan who looked like he was straining to listen to something. Goku tilted his head a little bit and frowned, straining to hear whatever his son was listening to. "Hear what?"

"That… Pounding noise."

"What noise?" Vegeta scoffed, quietly, trying to listen as well.

"The pounding! It's practically deafening!" Gohan's hands flew to his ears and Goku blinked in surprise as he walked forwards to put a hand on his son's shoulders looking back at Vegeta who was looking just as confused as he was.

"Just take it easy, Gohan."

"Shut up! Stop it! Just stop it!" Gohan collapsed under his grip, and Goku dropped beside his son who kept his hands over his ears.

"Gohan!" Gohan responded by letting out a deafening howl, which prompted Vegeta to take a step backwards, clearly put off by the boy's strange actions. Goku frowned and grabbed Gohan's shoulders again, shaking him a little bit to try and rouse him from his hysterical state. "Gohan, listen to me. Do you hear me? Can you hear me, Gohan?"

"What the hell is happening?" Vegeta walked forwards, but halted a few steps away. "Drugs."

"Drugs?" Goku looked up at Vegeta.

"Freeza said he drugged him, said he could release the drugs. He also said he was going to have Gohan fight him. He's being drugged."

"Drugged..?" Goku snarled and looked down at his shaking son, pulling him into an embrace. "Gohan fight it! Don't let that maniac control you!"

"Kakarot, look out!"

Before Goku could ask what Vegeta meant he felt Gohan's teeth sink deep into his shoulder. They instantly drew blood, and Goku recoiled reflexively. He pushed Gohan off him and pulled back, holding his newly bloodied shoulder. "Gohan… what's the matter with you?" He stood up as Gohan stumbled backwards clutching his head, Goku's blood dripping off his chin onto the floor. Goku slowly reached out towards him again, but Vegeta grabbed his wrist.

"Stop trying to reason with him, Kakarot!" He snarled. "He's not in his right mind. He's not going to listen to you."

"I'm not going to fight my son, Vegeta."

"Then I will."

"Vegeta, no!"

However, Vegeta was no longer listening. Gohan had lunged towards them again, reaching out and snarling like some feral beast, trying to fight away a predator. Vegeta nimbly dodged out of the way of Gohan's raging fists and pulled back his arms, readying a ball of Ki over his head. Goku reached upwards to grab Vegeta's arm to stop him from firing at his son, but was just short of his goal. Vegeta let loose an incredible force of Ki that hit Gohan directly in the chest, burning through his clothes and blasting him backwards into the steel door. Gohan slumped to the floor and Goku gasped running forwards towards his first-born.

"Gohan!"

"Kakarot, stop it you idiot! He's going to kill you!"

Goku could fight almost any opponent with no reservations. However seeing his son charging at him, hate and the intent to kill in his eyes was too much for him. He couldn't handle it. Goku stopped a few feet away from his son's unmoving form, and frowned, searching him up and down for any signs of life. He clenched his fists as tightly as he could and began to shake, before rounding on Vegeta anger radiating off him, his Ki heating the air dangerously around him.

"Vegeta! You went too far!"

"He was going to kill us."

"You didn't have to-" Goku's words stopped short as a concentrated beam of Ki ripped through his thigh from behind him. He stumbled a bit and looked down at his new wound as it quickly started to bleed freely. He turned around slowly and looked at Gohan who was aiming two glowing fingers at him. "Go… han!" Gohan fired another blast, which sawed straight through Goku's shoulder, and knocked him backwards a good few feet. He gasped and stumbled backwards and looked down at Gohan, tears forming in his eyes at the sight of anger and hatred that twisted his son's face.

Vegeta was beside him now, and he held his wounds looking over at his fellow Saiyan who was glaring down at his son. "Don't be stupid. He's not looking at you. He's looking for whoever did this to him, and he can't tell us apart."

"Vegeta…" Goku smiled a little at the explanation.

"Don't get sentimental. Can you fight?"

"I can't…"

"We're not going to kill him." Vegeta glared down at Gohan who was stumbling to his feet, clawing at his chest and the fresh burns from Vegeta's blast. "We have to find whatever is doing this to him, and disable it."

"Freeza said it was all those drugs."

"He also said it was activated somehow." Vegeta looked Gohan over. "I don't know about you, but I don't know any drugs that just sit around in your system and wait to do what they're supposed to."

Goku nodded pulling his shirt off, and ripping it down the seem. "You think they're being administered somehow?"

"They must be."

Goku wrapped the shirt as tightly as he could around his new wounds and nodded at Vegeta. "Alright. I'll see what I can do to hold him down."

"Good, you do that." Vegeta cracked his neck. "I'll find whatever is administering those drugs."

"Deal." Goku nodded, crouching down and Vegeta followed his lead. "Ready?"

"Always."

Goku launched himself towards his son, who responded instantly. He lunged into his father's attack, his hands extending, Ki radiating from them with a deadly glow. Goku knocked both hands away and reached in to grab him by the shoulders, but was quickly thwarted by Gohan ducking down and sweeping one of his legs out knocking Goku off his feet. Goku fell backwards wincing at it jarred his wounds, and felt the blood start to drench the cloth of his shirt. He pushed himself into a sitting position and looked up at his son who was holding his palm out to him, and his eyes widened suddenly very aware of what his son planned to do. He jumped up and ran, barely dodging the heavy blast of Ki that scorched the ground, leaving a pool of molten stone in its wake. However Gohan wasn't done with just that. He quickly adjusted his palm, following his father with it, blasting at him. It was so quick and so deadly; it was all Goku could do to just dodge it all.

"Vegeta!" He screamed as a blast came dangerously close to taking his leg off. "Do you know where it is yet?"

"Working on it, Kakarot!"

It was at that moment that Vegeta was dodging the blasts from Gohan's other palm, and sighed, completely unsure of what he was going to do. He couldn't even get close enough to touch Gohan, let alone hold him down long enough to keep him still. He dodged another beam, but when another hit directly in front of him, he stumbled backwards, stepping back to regain his footing. The leg however, that he used to step backwards was set right in the path of another blast. Goku screamed as it ripped through his clothes and flesh, and toppled over, pulling it close to him and colliding with the wall. He tipped over, falling against the floor, feeling a pool of blood forming underneath him. It wasn't long till he heard Vegeta let out a similar howl, and saw his elder strike the ground next to him, blood pouring profusely from his chest where Gohan had struck him.

Goku let his head drop and hit the ground, cursing himself. There was no way he'd be able to save Gohan now. There was no way he could save himself, or Goten, or Chi-Chi either. He looked up at Gohan, expecting the final blow to come, but was rather shocked when he saw how still Gohan stood. He raised his head a little bit, smiling. Maybe the drugs had worn off, maybe Gohan was safe now!

However he saw his smile fall when his son raised a dazed hand to his own throat and grip it tightly. He frowned in confusion, which was dispelled just as quickly when he saw Gohan's hand start to glow. His eyes widened with horror, and he tried to pull himself up, reaching towards his son.

"Go…" He spat a mouth full of blood onto the floor, and collapsed, unable to keep himself up. "Han…" His forehead collided with the stone again and tears formed in his eyes. "Don't… please don't!" _Kill me, do anything you want to me, just don't hurt yourself!_

His voice didn't even travel past himself, and he cursed the floor, tilting his head, forcing himself to look up at his son, who was shaking, tightening his grip on his throat.

"Gohan!"

Goku blinked at the new voice and looked up once more, and saw two small arms wrapped firmly around his son's midsection. He frowned at the sight as his vision began to swim with darkness. Suddenly there was a face over him, and two hands on the side of his head. "Goku…!"

Goku frowned, trying to make out who it was, and felt himself toppling into unconsciousness. He barely managed a smile as recognition crept over him. "Chi-Chi… what are you doing… here?"

And with that, he was dropped into the sweet bliss of shock-induced sleep.

* * *

><p>17 and 18 were always the first ones in and the last ones out. They were without a doubt the strongest of the group, but in this case, it almost seemed unnecessary. The way was mostly already clear. It looked like a bulldozer had swept through and cleared out over three quarters of the guards before they had even gotten there. Not to mention that half the ships had gone off on a wild goose chase, searching for them, when they hadn't left in the first place.<p>

17 peered around another corner and looked back. "This hall way is clear too. And it looks like the elevator is at the end of it."

"Wow…" Kuririn walked up, looking around as Yamucha and Tienshinhan followed close behind. "Do you think Gohan did all this?"

"Sure he did." Yamucha grinned. "The kid is like a wrecking ball."

18 put her hands on her hips and shook her head. "Come on, let's focus. Videl should be up there. Let's go already."

"Do you think Bulma and Chi-Chi are up there too?" Yamucha asked, walking over to the device and pushing a button, which opened the double doors.

"I wouldn't be surprised." Tienshinhan spoke up and 17 peered inside and gave the all clear, and all five of them piled into the lift. "Just remember Yamucha… it's almost been ten years."

"I know, I know." He sighed. "It'll still be good to see them again."

The elevator smoothly took off, soaring upwards through the compound, until it finally came to a smooth yet slightly sudden stop.

"I don't know about you guys, but this has all been way too easy." 17 folded his arms. "Nothing is every this easy."

"It is when there are three Saiyans barreling through all the guards downstairs." Tienshinhan looked over. "And most of the guards are off world anyways. So count your blessings and stop griping about it."

"I'm just saying we should be prepared for some adversity."

"Yeah, adversity names Bulma, Chi-Chi and Videl." Yamucha snorted. "If you guys don't mind, I'd like to see them again, so open the damn door."

18 reached over and nonchalantly clicked on the button and leaned back again as the doors slid open. Everyone, bar the mechanical ones, held their breath in anticipation as three heads turned to look at them. Yamucha let out the biggest sigh he'd ever breathed, and took a step out of the elevator. "Bulma…"

"Yamucha…" She grinned from ear to ear and ran forwards throwing her arms around him, kissing his cheek. "Yamucha! Tienshinhan! Kuririn!" She moved from each of them, kissing Kuririn's head and giving Tienshinhan a hug.

"Ahem?" 17 leaned forwards. "Don't I get a kiss?"

"No, shut up 17, I'm having a moment." Bulma embraced her former crewmembers again and pulled back, looking them over. "Wow… it's been so long."

Chi-Chi walked over. "Hello again, everyone."

"Chi-Chi, wow. It's been a while." Yamucha rubbed the back of his head and peered around them. "Vi? Vi's here too, right?"

Videl had been hanging back, blushing a little bit, and holding her hands behind her back. "Hi everyone…" She whispered.

"Vi!" Yamucha ran out and wrapped her up in his arms. "Don't ever do something so stupid again!" He held his surrogate little sister a while and turned back to his other co-workers. "I can't believe we finally found you."

"How did you get up here?" Bulma put her hand on her hips. "Don't tell me you fought all the guards."

"Didn't have to." Kuririn smiled up at her and slowly turned to Chi-Chi. "Your son went in ahead of us, and cleaned house."

"Gohan?" Chi-Chi beamed suddenly." My Gohan? My Gohan is here? Where! Show me to him!"

"Uh… well… about that." Kuririn took a step away from Chi-Chi and looked up to Tienshinhan.

"We've decided it's best if we part ways from Gohan. We just came here to get you out."

Chi-Chi's eyes narrowed. "Excuse me?"

"We don't have time to sit here and talk, we have to get back to the ship and get out of here."

"What?" Videl ran up to them, grabbing Tienshinhan's shirt. "No! We can't leave Gohan behind! It wasn't his fault!"

"He's put you in danger once too many times, and we're-"

"Videl, sweetie." Bulma put a hand on Videl's shoulder. "You go with them."

"What?" Yamucha turned. "What about you two?"

"Us two?" Bulma folded her arms. "Sorry, but we're a package deal. I'm not leaving this planet unless it's with my son, and Vegeta."

"I refuse to leave my children and husband here. That's all there is to it."

Videl nodded with them both, and ran to stand with them. "And I'm not going without Gohan!"

There was silence in the room and Tienshinhan sighed. "I should have expected as much, I suppose." He rubbed his forehead careful to avoid his eye. "Alright, we'll go back down and find them. But quickly. We don't have time to dawdle."

Videl smiled and jumped up and down once. "Thanks, Tien! Come on, let's go save some Saiyans!"

* * *

><p>It had taken them about ten minutes to find the huge metal slab that barred the remnants of the doors to Freeza's audience chamber. They had run into no guards, just the corpse of Dodoria and several badly beaten soldiers, and had found the large room with relative ease. Still they now faced the dilemma of how to get inside, where they presumed their Saiyans were.<p>

"Great. Now what." Chi-Chi folded her arms. "We can't just wait out here, they could be hurt."

17 extended his arms, cracking all ten of his silicone fingers, and walked up to it. "Stand back, ladies, and let the two of us handle this thing."

"17, 18… you guys are strong but…"

The two androids sank their incredibly strong fingers into the metal frame as if it was made from moist clay rather than thirty tons of reinforced steel and tore the door from it's hinges in a matter of seconds, tossing it aside. 17 looked back and put a hand on his hips, blowing on his knuckles and wiping them on his shirt.

"But nothing. We're amazing."

"I'll say you are at that." Bulma smiled, and put her hands on her hips.

Videl was the first to run forwards into the room, looking around. At first all she saw were clouds of dust, and pools of molten stone lined the floor. There were obvious signs of battle, and at the center of it all was a boy, a little taller than she was, gripping his own throat with glowing hands. Videl's eyes widened.

"Gohan!" She ran into the room before Yamucha or Tienshinhan could catch her to pull her back, and ran up to the young hybrid Saiyan. She grabbed his shoulders and shook him, looking up into his eyes. "Gohan, what are you doing? Who did this?"

"I did…" Gohan looked down at her, but Videl could see that he wasn't really seeing her. "I had to make it stop. The pounding noise."

"Pounding noise?"

Gohan pulled his hands away from his throat and gripped the side of his head. "Two beats, over and over and over and over, it's driving me insane, I have to stop it!"

Videl reached up and touched his face. "What noise, Gohan? Please… please tell me."

With no warning Gohan grabbed her shoulders and pushed her ear up against his chest, and held her in some sort of twisted embrace. And then everything was still. Videl fought through the panic and slowly she realized what he was talking about. _Bathump, bathump, bathump. _

"Your heart beat?" She looked up at him, and he didn't let go of her.

"It has to stop."

"No…" Videl grabbed his face and pulled him down to look at her. "No, Gohan! It can't stop! You need that noise."

"It's driving me insane." He looked down at her and removed one of his hands placing it next to his head. "I'm going to stop it, forever."

"Gohan, no!" She grabbed his hand and tried to pull it away from his head, but his Saiyan strength made it damn near impossible to budge. "Please… don't do that. You don't have to listen to that noise."

For the first time, Gohan actually seemed to hear her. He looked down at her, and his eyebrows furrowed. "I don't?"

"No, you don't."

"But it's so loud…" He whined.

Videl reached up and ran a hand through her hair. "Listen to something else then." She whispered, pulling him closer. "Listen to me. Forget everything else and just listen to me."

She felt Gohan whimper against her and his knees buckled, toppled forwards into her. She lowered with him, getting to her knees and let him lean against her. She slowly ran her fingers through his hair and began to talk. She talked about anything and everything. Her memories of earth, her memories from the space ship. The day she had found a large fuzzy snake with rabbit ears and begged Yamucha to keep it, and thought it was unfair that she couldn't just because it was poisonous. She laughed and kept talking as Gohan leaned against her, breathing deeply and finally seemed to calm down.

She looked away and noticed that Bulma was kneeling next to a strange man she had never seen before, and Chi-Chi was pulling Goku up into her arms. She held Gohan closer and kept talking, looking down at him, as his head slowly moved, looking up at her.

"Videl…?" He whispered, his voice hoarse.

She smiled warmly at him and hugged him as tightly as she could. "Welcome back, Gohan."


	19. Regret is a Symptom of Mistakes

**(So I've discovered I'm not going to be able to update on Mondays and Thursdays. But every other day should be an update day again. I'm still adjusting to my new schedule.) **

* * *

><p>The first thing that could be said about the room was that it was nothing short of a mess, and that was the first thing that Bulma noticed. Something had happened in this room, and the copious amounts of blood that lined the floor led her to believe she didn't really want to know what. She walked forwards into the room, her hands hanging loosely at her sides, as the rest of her crew went ahead of her. Gohan was the first person anyone saw. He stood in the middle of the destruction, hand on his neck, and looking more and more pained and distressed by the second. Videl had run to him before anyone else could react and proceeded to quiet and calm the distraught teen. Chi-Chi was the next person to run into the room, falling to her knees beside her husband, who lay face down on the floor, blood pooling under him. Still Bulma stood, looking through the rubble, her eyes mercilessly searching for any sign of her own Saiyan.<p>

She was hardly aware of Yamucha putting a hand on his shoulder until he spoke up. "B? Are you okay?"

"I don't see him anywhere."

"Who?"

"Vegeta…"

Yamucha walked up beside her and folded his arms, scowling a little bit and turning his head. "Maybe he's not here."

"He has to be here." Bulma snapped, looking over.

Yamucha let his hands fall and he looked over at her. "… Do you really love him?" He asked quietly. "Are you sure you really love him?"

"What?"

"I mean… Freeza had you for a long time, and… well if you got lonely, I understand, but… do you really love-"

"Yes."

Yamucha turned around, looking quite shocked and confused. The perplexed look quickly left his features, and were replaced by a look of hurt and anger. "So that's it then? Everything we had, everything we did, just meant nothing to you?"

"To me?" She put her hand on her chest. "Excuse me? You were the one who put zero effort into our relationship, Yamucha. You're the one who ran around with other women whenever you had the chance."

Yamucha's face went red, and he curled his fingers into fists. "Bulma, I love you!" He turned his head. "I… wasn't good at showing it, and you're right, I didn't put in the right amount of effort, and I was kind of a playboy but… I… I really do love you!" He grabbed her hand and held it between his own. "Please… Please just give me another chance."

Bulma sighed and looked down at the ground. "Yamucha… look. You're a great guy. You're funny, you're a lot of fun to hang out with, and I really do care about you, but…" She reached up and touched his face. "I'm sorry."

She turned her head away from him, and as she did she noticed a pile of shifting rubble, and frowned. Suddenly a large hand shot forth from the dust and brick, and Vegeta pulled himself up, before promptly collapsing backwards, onto his back. Bulma gasped and pulled her hand away from Yamucha and ran over, collapsing next to the beaten and bruised prince of Saiyans sliding a hand under his head.

"Vegeta! Are you alright?" She looked down at the blood and dirt that had mixed together on his chest, and delicately put a finger on his uninjured pectoral.

He opened his eyes slowly and glared up at her spitting a mouth full of blood out, and it ran down his cheeks to his ears. "You foolish woman… what are you doing here?"

"What am I doing here?" She asked, leaning back, pulling him up into her arms. "I'm looking for my son and fiancée, what else you moron?"

"Shut up…" He grimaced sitting up. "And get out of here…"

Bulma grabbed his shoulders and pulled him back down , resting his head on her lap. "Don't sit up. You'll bleed out."

"Gohan… The kid…" Vegeta's breath was ragged, and Bulma smiled at him running a hand through his hair.

"It's okay, Videl's got him. He's safe."

"Forget safe, woman…" Vegeta coughed again and reached up to grab the scruff of her shirt. "Drugs."

"What?"

"Freeza… drugged him. He has something on him… that administers it. Find it."

"Vegeta, even if I knew where to look, I wouldn't know how to…"

"What happened to your… genius that you wouldn't… shut up about..?"

Bulma sighed and wiped some of the blood off Vegeta's face. "Okay. Okay, I'll find it."

"Hurry." Vegeta practically spluttered. "Freeza has Trunks."

Bulma's eyes darkened. "That maniac has our son and you're only now bringing it up?"

"Oh I'm sorry, would you like me and Kakarot to leap up and go challenge Freeza now? Or were you planning on fighting him? As much as I hate to admit it, Gohan is the only one with a chance of… standing up to… him."

"Okay, okay, don't swallow too much pride, you might choke and kill yourself quicker." She leaned down and kissed the top of his head, which caused him to turn his head away, scoffing a little. "Don't worry." She smiled. "You'll get your turn with Freeza. I'll make sure Gohan saves a little for you. And I'll get our son back."

"Those are… heavy claims for an… earth woman."

"Shut up and go to sleep." Bulma looked up as Vegeta went limp in her arms and she found herself staring up at Yamucha who was scowling.

"Yeah, I see what you like about him. He's a real charmer."

"Stop it, Yamucha. And help me." She looked away and held Vegeta up, but unfortunately all that muscle plus the heavy cuffs was too much for her. "I need your help to save him. There are healing tanks on this base. If you can get them there, they should be fine."

Tienshinhan walked over to her and Yamucha and folded his arms. "I'll get 17 and 18 and we'll take them there."

"Good." Bulma stood up and rolled up her sleeves. She had work to do.

* * *

><p>It took all of Gohan's strength to turn over. He felt Videl's hands guiding his shoulder as he dropped back down, letting his head fall onto her lap. She smiled and ran a hand through his hair and Gohan took a deep breath. His muscles were still twitching involuntarily, and he was feeling sick to his stomach, but Videl's calming voice kept him from loosing it all together. He could remember the pounding noise, which was no more than the dull sound of his heart pumping blood through his body, and he could remember angrily thrashing about, and the taste of blood and the feeling of flesh beneath his fingertips. But for some reason he wasn't very badly wounded. His chest was mildly burned, but he didn't have any cuts or internal wounds that he seemed to remember inflicting on himself.<p>

"Are you feeling okay, Gohan?"

Gohan looked up at Videl and furrowed his brow. No, he was not feeling okay, but he wasn't about to say that. "I think I'll be alright…" He shook his head, and closed his eyes as his vision swam with a wave of dizziness that hit him. "Where are dad and Vegeta…?" He slurred a bit, opening his eyes a crack.

Videl frowned and turned her head and Gohan tried to follow her gaze, but was unable to lift his head off her lap. "They're umm…"

Suddenly another familiar face was hovering over him, and he looked up at Bulma, and smiled. "Bulma… Hi…"

"Hi, Gohan." She smiled. "Are you alright?"

"I think so…" He swallowed hard, the coppery taste of blood still heavy on his tongue. "I could use some water though."

"In a second, Gohan." She looked him over. "Vegeta thinks you might have been drugged. I'm going to find whatever got it into your system and then I'm going to get it out."

Gohan frowned at the words. "Drugged?" Then again, Freeza had said something about drugs. Was that what had come over him? It would sure explain a lot. He sighed and adjusted himself on the floor as Bulma lifted his shirt, scanning his burnt chest for anything suspicious. "Vegeta…" He looked up at her. "Where is he? Did he go ahead to get Freeza?"

"No." Bulma frowned and looked over at him and put a hand on his forehead. "Don't worry about it right now, Gohan."

"What are you talking about?" He pushed himself to sit up and brushed her hand away as she tried to shove him back down. "Where's dad? Where's Vegeta…?" His words died as he saw the morose parade that was leaving the room. 17 and 18 were accompanied by Yamucha and Tienshinhan and were carrying his father and Vegeta out of the room, thin trails of blood following them. Gohan caught sight of his father's leg, and Vegeta's chest, and covered his mouth as the bile rose in his throat. He pushed himself away, past Videl and lost his stomach's contents, which honestly didn't consist of much.

"Gohan!" He looked up as his mother knelt in front of him, ripping off a piece of her dress and wiping his mouth off. She held his face and Bulma put a hand on his shoulder and Videl helped guide him back onto the ground.

"Mom…" Gohan reached up and Chi-Chi caught his hand. "Mom, dad is…"

"A very strong resilient man." She waved her hand dismissively and held his hand. "He's had worse. He passed out for a second and woke up the next minute asking if I had brought him any food." She shook her head. "He can be so insensitive." She put a hand on the side of Gohan's face and smiled. "Now, don't you worry about him. The others are taking him and Vegeta to some healing tanks. They'll be good as new in a matter of minutes."

"You're not worried?"

"Of course I'm worried. But he's my husband. I expect great things from the man I married." She leaned over and kissed her son on the forehead. "Now, young man, you need to let Bulma find whatever is wrong so you can bring me my other little boy who's probably missing his momma a whole lot right now."

Gohan smiled at her as Bulma went back to searching his chest. He nodded. "Alright, mom."

Chi-Chi ran a hand through his hair affectionately. "I thought you were dead, Gohan…"

"I'm right here." Gohan nodded. "It'll take a lot more than Freeza to kill me."

Chi-Chi frowned and put her hands on her hips. "When this is all done, I swear you are done with fighting. No more of this." She shook her head. "I was so worried about you, for nothing. So you can repay me by becoming a brilliant scholar."

Gohan smiled and nodded. "Brilliant scholar. Alright."

"Hey, I think I found it." Everyone turned to look at Bulma who had taken a very active interest in his thigh. She ran a hand along one of the many scars he had, and looked up at him. "I'm going to try to get it out."

Gohan nodded and tilted his head back, Videl and his mother putting hands on his shoulder and Gohan winced as he felt a sharp twisting sensation in his gut. He took a deep breath, and screwed his eyes shut until the pain stopped.

"I think I've got it…"

"Check for any others. We don't want any more surprises." Chi-Chi advised.

Gohan stared up at the ceiling as Bulma covered the small hole that removing the device had left in him, and he looked over at the strange flesh colored device. Frankly, he was surprised Bulma had found it. Even if he had been looking, he would have never noticed that. He sat up, feeling significantly better from a few moments ago, and lifted his pants legs, for Bulma to examine his other scars. After he had been thoroughly inspected, and everyone was satisfied, Gohan stood up and brushed himself off. He looked towards the door that Freeza had walked through and clenched his fists, tightly.

"Gohan, wait." Videl grabbed his arm and stood up. "Let me come with you."

"No, Videl." He looked back at her. "I barely managed Zarbon. I have no idea how I'm going to handle Freeza. It'll be too dangerous for you to be there."

Gohan turned around and took her hands tightly in his. "Videl… please. Go back with my mother and Bulma. I'll be right behind you. I just have to save the boys."

Videl looked up at him and frowned before nodding and hugging him tightly. "Be careful."

"I will."

"Be sure to come back, alright?"

"I will."

"And don't die."

"I won't."

He removed himself from Videl and walked over to Bulma and Chi-Chi. "Please make sure my father and Vegeta are alright. I'll bring Trunks and Goten back."

His mother hugged him around his neck and Bulma put a hand on his arm, reassuringly. "Just get the boys and get out. If you can save them without fighting Freeza do that."

Gohan smiled a little but it was forced. He knew even if they did get away today, Freeza would hunt them down. It either ended tonight, or they lived life on the run, and put more people in danger, until they were strong enough. He nodded at all three women and turned back to the door. "I promise to save them." He whispered.

Bulma put a hand on Videl's back and Chi-Chi lead the way, following the hall that Tienshinhan and the others had taken. Gohan looked back at the door and walked up to it, placing is his palm against it. He scowled and looked up at one of the cameras that lined the room. "Open up, Freeza! It's just me now!"

He took a step back as the huge metal slab slid upwards into the ceiling, and he glared into the darkness that awaited him. He took a few steps in, and looked around as the door slammed shut behind him, trapping him in almost total darkness. Suddenly the lights all flickered on, and Gohan shielded his eyes, blinking rapidly to make them adjust. He walked into the room, and noticed it looked suspiciously like some mad scientists laboratory.

It looked to be completely devoid of life, filled with nothing but machines and dripping fluids. He ran a hand over one of the smooth metallic surfaces and looked up, searching for any signs of Ki.

"You've been busy, Freeza."

"Not recently, no."

Gohan spun around as Freeza's voice filled the room. "What's that mean?"

"Well, you Saiyans were always a sort of side job. More of a hobby really. I have an empire to run, after all."

"So we were just a pet project to you?" Gohan turned around, running his hands along the machinery, unable to pin point any Ki at all.

"Exactly. I hope I didn't delude you into thinking you were too important to me." Freeza's voice was snide and curt. "SG002. Saiyan born of Goku. Generation 2. You've been a thorn in my side for a long time now."

"Only a thorn?" Gohan took a few steps further into the room. "I thought for sure I had a bigger impact than that."

"Like I said, monkey. You're not important."

Gohan frowned. "Then let us go."

"Let you go?" Freeza laughed. "Foolish monkey. Just because you're not important doesn't mean you're not powerful. I don't want you on any side except mine. You're either with me, or you're dead."

"Those aren't very good options."

Freeza kept laughing. "They're still options. So what's it going to be? Life or death?"

"Life." Gohan gripped a machine. "Just not under you."

"That's a shame… Well, I've allowed you to reunite with your father and Vegeta. I might as well let you complete the reunion."

Gohan blinked and turned around. Goten and Trunks stood side by side, staring up at him blankly. He smiled at them and took a few steps forwards, stretching his arms out to meet the. "Goten! Trunks!"

"Ah, ah, ah!"

Gohan looked up sharply at the sound of Freeza's voice.

"I wouldn't touch them if I were you, SG002. See, they've been alone for a very long time now, and the poor things have forgotten their manners or how to behave around others. So they're a bit ill-behaved."

Gohan took a step backwards, looking down at the two children who stared at him, and he furrowed his brow. "You coward… what have you done to them?"

"Why don't you ask them?"

And with that, Freeza fell into total silence and Gohan returned his attention to the boys staring up at him. He slowly got down to his knees and reached out as slowly as he could. "Goten…? Trunks…?" He asked quietly, his hand landing softly on Goten's cheek. "Do you know me?"

Goten looked a bit shocked at the touch and looked up at his brother's face. "There's another one in here, Trunks."

"Yeah…" Trunks spoke softly. "I saw."

"We probably have to kill it too."

"Probably. Just like the rest."

Gohan backed away, rocking back onto his feet. "What? No! Goten! Trunks! It's me! Gohan!"

Goten and Trunks both raised a hand, which were glowing with powerful amounts of Ki. Goten raised his head and tilted it. "You're not Gohan."

"Yes I am, Goten." Gohan's eyes filled with tears. "I'm Gohan. Your big brother!"

"No. You're not Gohan." Goten looked down at the ground, turning his head slightly as more Ki powered into his fist. "Gohan never comes to save me. Dad never comes to save me. No one ever comes to save me."

Trunks nodded in agreement and looked up at Gohan with his glazed over eyes. "So all we have to do… is keep killing whatever Freeza sends to us. And wait for the thunder to stop."

Both boys fired.


	20. Be Not Afraid, I Go Before You Always

In his not terribly long life, Goku could never say he had woken up underwater before. Though, that was not an abnormal thing, seeing as when you were submerged underwater, while being unconscious, you tended to drown. The fact that he was alive and hadn't drowned and was actually breathing rather comfortably soothed Goku's first instinct to panic. His hands moved through the cold liquid up to his face where a small black mask was placed over his nose and mouth. He figured that was what was allowing him to breath so comfortably, and he slowly opened his eyes, blinking to let them adjust to the water that surrounded him. He was in a circular tank, filled with dark blue liquid.

He examined his hands and looked down at his feet moving them through the water slowly. His leg was no longer a mangled piece of flesh and bone and was actually looking a lot better. Something in his mind clicked as he realized he must have been in a healing tank. It's liquid had been forcibly pumped into him many times, through the hated death bringing painful metal spike that everyone else referred to as needles. He smiled into the mask and moved to the glass sphere that held him, and looked through. Bulma and Chi-Chi were talking right outside with a group of people he had never seen before. He tapped on the glass as best he could through the water.

They all turned to look at him and he waved a little bit. Bulma walked over and pushed a button, and the water started to drain around him. Finally it was below his face, and drained down past his feet. He pulled the mask off him as the glass case around him opened and he stepped out, running a hand through his soaking hair. He winced as he stepped onto his leg, which wasn't completely stable just yet, but he was feeling a whole lot better.

"Hi everyone."

Chi-Chi smiled at him and walked over putting a hand on his cheek. "Goku… I was worried."

Goku smiled and reached up, taking her hand. "Aw, don't worry about me, Chi-Chi. I'm okay."

"Are you sure?"

"What? Come on, Chi-Chi! Look at me. I'm fine!" He picked her up and spun her around before sitting her down. "My leg's a bit sore, but I'm just fine!"

Chi-Chi smiled at him and nodded. She turned to the group of people that Goku didn't recognize and motioned to them. "Goku, these people are the ones who brought me out into space so I could find you." She smiled. "They also took care of Gohan for a while."

Goku walked over to them. "You guys took care of my son and my wife? Wow, sounds like I owe you a lot." He nodded. "Thank you.

Tienshinhan nodded. "It's no problem."

"Still, I'll have to pay you guys back eventually." Goku smiled. "So where is Gohan?"

"Finding Goten and Trunks…" Videl answered from where she was seated.

"What? By himself?"

"Yeah…" Bulma frowned. "He promised that he could handle it, but we're all worried."

Goku frowned. "Well, where's Vegeta?"

Bulma pointed to another pod, which Vegeta was slumbering in, submerged in the same blue liquid. "He's going to be healed soon."

Goku nodded and sat down on the bench, his arms folded. "Well, when he wakes up, we'll go provide some back up for Gohan."

"Do you think he's alright?"

"Gohan? Sure, of course he's alright…" Goku smiled. "I mean, he's pretty incredible. I'm sure he'll be able to hold his ground. At least till we get there."

"What about Trunks and Goten?" Bulma took a step forwards, hugging herself, as if she were bracing herself against some imaginary chill. "They're… okay, right?"

Goku smiled trying to be as assuring as he could. He had felt the boy's Ki flicker back and forth. It was incredibly unstable. Sort of like how Gohan's had been while he had been drugged. It didn't exactly bode well for them, but Goku could at least tell that they were alive. "They're going to be fine, Bulma." He nodded. "I mean, Gohan's bound to find them, and then he'll bring them back, safe and sound."

Bulma looked over to the healing capsule that held her fiancée and she placed a hand on the cold glass. Goku followed her gaze and grinned.

"Well if there's one person you don't have to worry about, it's Vegeta." He laughed. "He's way too strong willed to die from something like that."

"Yeah… I know."

Goku put a hand on Chi-Chi's shoulders as she wrung her hands together worriedly. He could tell that the whole group was on edge, and he could feel his son's distressed Ki flickering back from the room they had fought in, only moments ago. He closed his eyes and stood up. Every instinct in his body was telling him to run to his son's rescue. To save both his boys, and take them home. He wanted to keep them safe for as long as he could. He knew he at least owed them that much. He looked down at his wife and smiled at her. "Say, Chi-Chi?"

"Yes?" She looked up at him, smiling softly and leaning into his arm.

Goku put a hand behind his head and smiled. "Have we got anything to eat here?"

* * *

><p>Gohan tumbled backwards onto his back, as another blast of Ki struck him. He had barely been able to guard on time, and the sheer force of it had still knocked him off his feet. He struggled to sit up as Goten and Trunks walked forwards, the same tired and blank expression on their faces. Gohan wiped his mouth and leaned forwards, pushing himself up off the ground.<p>

"What's the matter, SG002? Where did that will to fight go?"

Gohan snarled as Freeza's voice rang through the room. He still couldn't pin point his exact location. "You're sicker than I thought if you think I'm going to fight my little brother."

"I don't think you're going to fight your brother." Freeza spoke up again. "That's why I sent the two of them out there. They're not as strong as you are yet, but I had a feeling you'd just sit there and let them kill you."

Gohan glowered. He had no plans to just lie back and die, but he had no way of telling what Freeza had done to them. The thought of Freeza performing any sort of experiments on his little brother- or brothers, since he had always thought of Trunks as addition to the family anyways- made him sick to his stomach. He forced himself to stand up as Goten and Trunks aimed another blast in his direction. He folded his arms and braced himself against it, as it pushed him back a few more meters. He raised his head and looked at the boys.

"Goten… Trunks, please… It's me!" Gohan shouted, as if volume alone would be enough to make them see that he was in fact Gohan. Still the two advanced on him, raising hands and firing powerful blasts of Ki at him. He jumped out of the way and ducked down under one of the lab desks, and took a deep breath, trying desperately to formulate a plan in the back of his mind.

"You know, SG002." Freeza was talking again and Gohan groaned, trying to shove it to the back of his mind. "I'd still accept an apology and call it a day. You could go back to living, instead of running around trying to avoid death."

"First of all…" Gohan snarled. "That's a lie. You plan to kill me, and we both know it. You just want to hear me beg first." He slid out from the table before it was disintegrated and jumped up, bracing himself against the wall. "Second… My name is Gohan. Not SG002."

"Oh you think you get names now?"

"I've always had a name!"

Freeza sighed dramatically and Gohan ducked down avoiding another blast, running to another part of the room, as Goten and Trunks followed him, blasting away, aiming to kill. "Names are trivial things. Besides, weapons don't need names, if you name something you get attached. That's never a good thing."

"I'm not your weapon!"

"Aren't you?"

"No, I'm not!"

"I think you are. You wiped out the population of an entire planet just because I told you to. You fought whatever I sent for you to fight. You killed what I told you to kill."

"I…" Gohan curled his fists and looked down at his brothers. "You blackmailed me. You threatened me and my family, I didn't have a choice!"

"Weapons aren't supposed to have choices. You pull the trigger and they fire."

Gohan dipped his head, and scowled. "Fine… maybe I was your weapon. But not anymore. You don't get to pull my trigger any more. And I will not let you have my little brothers!"

"Are you thinking of defeating me?"

"Yes." Gohan watched the boys get closer again.

"Please, SG002." Freeza snorted. "I made you what you are. You think I don't know all about you? You couldn't defeat me if I tried."

"Yeah…" Gohan breathed low. "You did make me what I am. A cold hearted monster that doesn't have second thoughts about killing the people who pose a threat to me. I hate that. I hate myself sometimes, but in this case I'm glad you did."

"Oh? Are you?"

"Yes. It means I won't need any regrets when I rip your heart out."

"Big words from someone who can't even stand up to two toddlers."

Gohan looked back down at Trunks and Gohan, who stood side by side and held their hands out with glowing intensity. He smiled fondly and took a step forwards. "Yeah… I guess so." He had never suspected for a moment that he would have to fight his own little brothers. He had honestly expected to walk in there, pull them out of some strange cell, and have them come running into his arms, smiling and laughing. Gohan shook his head and glanced up at where he figured the source of Freeza's voice was coming from. "Just get ready Freeza. I'm coming for you next."

"So, what's your plan? Kill the children and come after me?"

Gohan ignored him and took a few steps forwards towards the boys. "Goten… Trunks… I know you feel really alone right now. You're scared, and can't think straight, and you think no one is going to come to save you, no matter how many times you call out for them."

"Really, SG002? Talking? That's your master plan? They're still going to kill you."

Gohan ignored Freeza and frowned, remembering what they had said. He had felt the same way more than once when he had been a child. He had always felt like he had been abandoned, and no one ever took pity on him, or showed him any mercy, and so when the time to fight something he felt as though he owed them the same treatment. He frowned at the boys and the Ki formed in their fists.

He dropped to his knees, and grabbed them both, pulling them into a tight embrace. Instantly he felt two powerful blasts smash into his abdomen. He felt blood seep down his shirt, and heard it begin to drip on the floor. Still he tightened his grip, and pulled them in closer.

"I'm sorry." He said, wrapping his arms around their shoulders. "I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have left you alone. I should have come back for you sooner, and I left you here with Freeza. He hurt you, and you couldn't even call for my help."

He felt Goten tense in his arms, and he felt the Ki in his fists heat up against his stomach again. "No… you're not…"

"I'm here, Goten." Gohan put a hand on the back of Goten's head. "I'm here, and I'm going to save you." He pulled Trunks in closer, turning his face into his neck, tightening the hug. "I'm here to make the thunder stop."

Trunks and Goten both trembled beneath him as Goten's hands slowly moved around his brother's neck, in a weak trembling hug. Trunks leaned into Gohan's shoulder, grabbing onto his Gi, burying his face into Gohan's neck. Goten choked on a sob, and Gohan patted his back reassuringly.

"I'm scared, big brother…"

"I want the noise to stop…" Trunks whispered, clinging tighter.

"I know." Gohan whispered, closing his eyes and pulling back onto his knees, pulling both boys with him, keeping them in his strong embraced. "I'm here now. I'm going to keep you safe now. And I'm sorry it took me so long to get here… but now I promise to always come when you call, or when you're scared, or lonely."

Trunks and Goten shook and he felt warm tears staining his shirt. He pulled back and put a hand on the side of both of their faces, looking at them. Trunks continued to cling to his shirt and Goten grabbed onto his arm, clinging as tightly as his eight year old fists would allow. He smiled at them, and ran a hand through their hair, and leaned forwards till his forehead was even with theirs.

"Now don't be afraid, Trunks, Goten." He whispered. "I need the two of you, to go and find mom and dad. Can you do that for me? Can you follow their Ki?"

Goten's lip quivered and he grabbed onto him tighter. "No… no don't go away again."

Gohan smiled and leaned in resting his chin against Goten's forehead. "Don't be afraid, Goten. I'm not going away ever again." He pulled back and looked over at Trunks. "You both have got to be brave now, and find mom and dad. They'll take care of you, and they'll never let you go again."

"But what about you?" Trunks whispered.

"Me?" Gohan smiled moving his hands to the tops of their head. "Oh don't you worry about me." He snickered and stood up, looking down at them. "Big brother has to go kill Freeza."

"Kill Freeza?" Goten looked up, shock clear on his face. "You're going to kill Freeza?"

"Of course I am." He smiled down at them. "Nobody hurts my little brothers and lives to brag about it." He nodded at the door. "Now go find daddy, Goten." He turned away, and surveyed the room. "Like I've said… big brother has to go and kill Freeza."

He slowly turned and walked away from the boys, spotting a door at the far end of the room. He glared and put a hand on it, letting the Ki build up in his palm, anger radiating off him. A long dark hallway greeted him and he turned around to look at Trunks and Goten. He waved them on, and the two ran back to the first door, pushing it open and looked back, hesitantly. Gohan nodded at them, and they took a few more hesitant steps before they bolted out into the audience chamber towards the feeling of Goku's Ki.

Gohan turned back towards the hallway and glared, letting his Ki build up through him, adrenaline pumping through him. There was absolutely no way he was going to let Freeza get away with what he had done. He was going to make Freeza pay, and he was going to do it as painfully as possible.

Or die trying.


	21. Nothing is Ever Certain

Vegeta was more than a little surprised when he woke up submerged in liquid, but he calmed almost instantly when he realized it was a healing tank, and that it was working to heal the wounds on his chest. He moved his hands through the liquid and felt his pectorals, satisfied with how much they had healed. He wasn't sure how long he had been asleep, but it must had been at least an hour judging by the rate he had healed. He took a deep breath through the breathing mask, and opened his eyes slowly, examining his surroundings. He was in one of Freeza's healing rooms, surrounded by humans, his mate and Kakarot's among them. Kakarot was also sitting around, his arms folded, talking about something that he couldn't hear, thanks to the liquid surrounding him. Vegeta tested his Ki, raising it a few levels to see how much stamina he had regained from his short rest. He looked back at the glass and noticed Bulma staring at him, one hand on the glass. He brought his eyes up to hers and saw her smile and reach over to push a button by his healing tank. Slowly the liquid began to drain around him, and as soon as it was around his ankles, the glass rose above him and he stood up, stepping out.

"How long have I been asleep?"

Bulma walked over putting her hands behind her back. "About an hour and a half."

Vegeta looked down at his wrists, which he noticed were considerably lighter. The cuffs from his appendages were missing and he noticed that they were gone from Kakarot as well. Bulma smiled and put a hand on his wrist, and looked up at him.

"We found a key card, and unlocked them. Feels good, huh?"

Vegeta grunted, and looked down at the floor, rubbing his wrists, and rotating his shoulders backwards. He noticed one of the other humans he didn't recognize glaring at him, and raised his head, meeting the angry glare evenly. "Something the matter, human?"

"Yeah." He spoke up, walking over, the scars on his face wrinkling with the angry look that creased his brow. "How about showing some gratitude to the people who saved your life instead of just grunting and acting like a stuck up prick."

A smirk crossed Vegeta's face and he put his hands on his hips. "Saved my life? Don't flatter yourself, as if I would die from wounds so trivial."

"Trivial? You were drooling on the floor, Saiyan boy!"

"Yamucha, Vegeta, don't fight!" Bulma stepped in between them, and Vegeta glowered, putting a hand on her shoulder, pushing her to the side.

"This doesn't concern you, woman!"

"Woman?" The scar-faced man took a step forwards, the anger that radiated off him was almost palpable. "Her name is Bulma, you ass. Don't you dare disrespect her!"

"Disrespect her?" Vegeta tilted his head back haughtily. "This woman is mine. You don't get to tell me how to treat her."

"She doesn't belong to you."

"She does."

"Vegeta, that's enough! Yamucha, you too!"

"Bulma! How can you let this guy treat you like that?" He rounded on her, and held a hand up gesturing to Vegeta. "He doesn't respect you at all. I lost you to a guy like this?"

Vegeta felt his blood boil at the man's choice of words. He reached forwards and grabbed Bulma's arm, pulling her closer to him, wrapping a hand around her waist, protectively. Bulma sighed and patted his forearm and Vegeta moved her behind him. "Lost her? Let me make this perfectly clear, human. This woman," He jerked a thumb back at Bulma. "Is my mate."

"Wife." Kakarot interjected.

"Not yet, idiot." He snapped under his breath. He looked back at Yamucha, and folded his arms. "The point is, if you don't stay away from her, I'll rip you in half, and it will cause me no hardship. Understood?"

Bulma put a hand on his shoulder, though he didn't waver, continuing to glare at the man before him. Yamucha snorted, but Vegeta could tell that he was trying very hard not to look intimidated. Bulma walked back in front of Vegeta and held her hands out as if she could physically diffuse the situation. "Alright, alright, you two. Calm down."

Vegeta sighed and rubbed his temples. "We don't have time for this." He shook his head and looked over at Kakarot. "So where are the boys?"

"Still with Freeza I expect."

"What?" Vegeta leaned forwards, glaring angrily. "You mean you've just been sitting here while that maniac can do whatever he wants to my son?"

"I was waiting for you to wake up!" Kakarot jumped up, glaring back at him.

"Oh brilliant." Vegeta grabbed a pair of gloves. "Well don't just stand there. We have to go…" Vegeta turned his head towards the door quickly, and Kakarot followed his gaze.

"Is that…?"

Vegeta walked over to the door and opened it, peering out, as two small figures came into view. His eyes widened at the two familiar Ki's that approached and the familiar black and purple hair. "Trunks…!"

The two boys collided with his legs, each wrapping their arms around his waist, clinging to him. He stumbled backwards, and looked down at his son and Goten who were both attached to his legs, as if he would vanish at any second.

"Goten!" Kakarot ran over, and his boy looked up, slowly releasing his grip on Vegeta's leg, before running over, leaping into his father's arms.

"Daddy!"

Everyone else could only stare for a moment. Vegeta stared down at his pale, and clearly malnourished son. He knelt down, his knees bending forcing Trunks to let go, and pull away, rubbing his nose and wiping his face. He grabbed his son's hands and pulled them away from his face and examined him from head to toe. Trunks stared at him, shaking, and Vegeta put a hand on his head. He would never admit that he felt an overwhelming amount of relief upon seeing his son alive, and in his right mind, but he would happily acknowledge the steady stream of anger building up in him as he saw the sorry state that his son was in. He stood up right and turned around, to face Kakarot, Trunks instantly latching back onto his leg. He was about to inform Kakarot that they were going to leave and find Gohan and Freeza, but one look at Bulma's face reminded him that his mate had not seen their son for at least eight years. She had been allowed to wean him out of infancy, but other than that, mother and son hadn't been in contact with each other at all. Trunks hid his face in the crook of his father's knee.

Bulma stared down at her son, and took a few steps forwards. "Trunks…?"

Trunks looked up at her, through his father's pant leg, and grabbed onto Vegeta's leg a little harder, burying his face again. She knelt down to his level and peered around. "Trunks?" She placed a hand on her chest. "It's me. Do you know me?"

Trunks shook his head not looking up, and Vegeta set a hand on Trunk's head. "Foolish boy." He spoke quietly. "This woman is your mother."

Bulma smiled and nodded. "Yeah… I'm your mommy."

Trunks looked up at Vegeta, and he grabbed Trunks' hand, and pulled him away from his leg and propelled him towards Bulma. "Go on, then."

Bulma caught Trunks under the arms before he fell on his face and glared up at Vegeta. "Be careful with him, he's not a rag doll." She looked down at Trunks who rested his forearms on hers, and let his fingers dangle. She smiled warmly. "Hi, Trunks."

Trunks swallowed heavily. "Hi mom."

Bulma's eyes filled with tears and she pulled him into a tight embrace. Vegeta looked down at his son, and then turned back to Kakarot who was busy slowly introducing his own son to his mate. "Kakarot, let's go."

"Huh?"

"Have you forgotten about your eldest? He's not here, so he's clearly still with Freeza."

Goten sniffled, as he finally allowed Chi-Chi to hold him, and looked back. "Big brother said he was going to kill Freeza."

"I'll bet he did." Goku smiled. "Don't worry, we're just gonna go back him up!"

"Stop lying to your children, Kakarot." Vegeta turned to Bulma. "You can take care of the boy till I get back?"

Bulma smiled up at him. "Yeah… I think we'll be alright." She lifted Trunks up, who had taken to her rather quickly, hugging her around her neck with his face buried in her shoulders. "You come back in one piece though, alright?"

Vegeta snorted, and glared at Yamucha. "Touch her and die." He turned around, after his quick disclaimer. "Let's go, Kakarot." He pushed the door open and after he scanned the base for Freeza or Gohan's Ki, he nodded to Kakarot and bolted in the direction their Ki was in.

* * *

><p>Gohan reached the end of the hallway significantly sooner than he had expected. He had expected it to go on for a lot longer, but he reached the door at the end in no time at all. He could feel Freeza's Ki on the other side, and he took a deep breath to compose himself. He wasn't sure if he was ready or strong enough to face Freeza, but he wasn't going to let him get away with hurting his family and friends. He grabbed the handle and pushed, the door opened into a huge chamber, and it was absolutely freezing. It looked like a power generator of some sort, though Gohan couldn't say he was completely familiar with the mechanics. He took a few steps into the room and the door shut behind him again, he rubbed his hands against his arms, and noted that it was so cold he could see his breath puffing in front of him. He could feel Freeza's Ki not too far away from him, and he curled his fists in preparation, glancing from side to side.<p>

"It's fascinating, isn't it?"

Gohan looked up and saw Freeza hovering in the air, next to an enormous pillar with glowing segments. "What is? You torturing my family? Kidnapping my friends?"

"Don't be so conceited, SG002, I was talking about the generator." Freeza knocked his fist against it. "It's an incredible device, capable of powering the entire planet. However the energy source is… incredibly unstable. Any increase in heat around it, or any shock to it could send it into critical and cause an explosion that could destabilize the entire planet."

"Seems like a poor choice for an energy system, then." Gohan sneered.

"Well, I've worked very hard to make sure the explosion would be contained, so if it were to ever reach critical I would have plenty of time to make it off planet."

"That's handy." Gohan glared up at him. "But doesn't this seem like a bad place to have a battle?"

"Indeed, it does. Which is why I chose it. See I'm not a fan of fighting, but I rather enjoy death sports. I like to incapacitate my victim and then take my sweet time killing them." Freeza floated a few feet closer. "So this was the perfect place. You Saiyans are incapable of indiscretion. You can't ration out your power, and so I'm counting on that."

"You think I won't attack you?"

"I think it'd be a suicide attack."

"Maybe I'm okay with that."

"Then attack." Freeza motioned behind him. "I'd be able to dodge and get out of here within moments leaving you to perish."

"So you expect me to just sit here and let you kill me?"

"No, I expect you'll be doing a lot of moving around." Freeza steadied his hand, and held it out towards him. "Just not on your own volition."

"Wha-" Gohan gasped as a sudden wave of Ki enveloped him. He tried to raise his hands to block, but it was far too late. He expected to feel the usual burning sensation that accompanied Ki, but instead he just felt as though his movements were restricted. He could hardly move, and as soon as he was able to open his eyes he saw that the ball of Ki had simply swallowed him, and trapped him inside. He struggled for all he was worth, trying as hard as he could to move even an inch.

In an instant Freeza was next to him, grinning like a maniac, poised for a kick. "Ready?" He asked mockingly. Gohan's eyes widened as Freeza suddenly let a kick fly and it knocked into the ball of Ki surrounding him, and sent him flying. His back was pushed into the Ki and he felt it burning at his skin as he flew through the air. And then with the same suddenness, he stopped. He felt gravity pulling on him again as he realized he was upside down. The Ki singed his shoulders and he could feel his clothes burning off, and blood pooling under his skin. Freeza had his tail wrapped around the ball, and Gohan looked up, his eyes wide. He knew if he hit anything the ball would explode and leave him in a room with an exploding generator and too many wounds to get out on time, while Freeza would have enough time to not only get out but get off planet. Freeza grinned down at him and another whack sent him flying. He was dangerously close to the generator when another hit sent him flying in another direction. The demented game of pinball left Gohan with a taste of blood in his mouth, and more bruises than he could count and also left him incredibly dizzy.

Finally the movement stopped and he swallowed hard, looking up at Freeza who was grinning down at him. "Tired of our game already?"

"You sick…" Gohan winced and braced himself as Freeza's tail coiled around the ball.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to let it hit the ground, that would put me in danger too." He tail tightened and his grip was making the ball of Ki shrink at exponential rates. Gohan was beginning to find it hard to breathe, and felt it burn at his skin even more. Finally the pressure caused the bubble to burst, and Gohan gasped in relief at the rush of cold air that accompanied it. Before he could fall to the ground however, he felt Freeza's tail wrap tightly around his neck. He reached up and clawed at it, as he hung in the air, suspended only by the tail around his neck.

"Oh!" Freeza put a hand on his chin, and tapped it nonchalantly, as if he were holding groceries rather than a struggling Saiyan teen. "I just got an idea for another game! Tell me, how long can you hold your breath?"

* * *

><p>It felt like he had been lying on the floor for ages. There was a small pool of blood around his cheek, his right arm was bent at an odd angle, and he wasn't quite sure where his left leg was. The battle had only lasted twenty minutes. Not that it had been a battle, it had been Gohan avoiding blowing up and Freeza attacking every so often.<p>

"You know, SG002…"

Gohan groaned, as he saw Freeza's feet appear in front of him. He twisted his face up to look at the tyrant and glared at him for a few moments. Freeza just twirled his hand about, and Gohan couldn't help but grin a little bit with pride. He had managed to gouge a few wounds into Freeza's white and purple skin, and though he wasn't as badly wounded as Gohan was, he wasn't without injury.

"I normally tire of games like this within the hour. Bur it's been so long since I've gotten to properly torture a Saiyan to death, I'm just having so much fun!" He smirked and leaned down, getting right next to Gohan's face. "And the best part is, I now have four more that I can slowly kill. The humans won't last as long, and therefore won't be as amusing, but I'll still get a lot of enjoyment out of them."

Gohan glowered and pulled himself upwards, "Don't… don't you dare…"

"Oh, there's not a whole lot you can do to stop me, now is there? No, all you can do is lie there and die quietly, and leave me to go slaughter the others."

"No…" Gohan spat a mouth full of blood onto the floor. "No, I won't let you!"

"Then stop me. Oh please, stop me." Freeza smirked, leaning in. "I'd love to play a while longer if you've still got some fight in you."

"No." Gohan pulled himself up on his injured arms. "We're done playing, Freeza." He raised his one good arm to Freeza's face. "I'm just going to kill you!" He fired a blast of Ki straight into the tyrants face, and his smile and resolve wavered when he saw the damage it had done. That being, almost none at all. It left a few burns and bruises on the bridge of his nose. Freeza just sighed and rubbed his nose.

"Yes, that was adorable, SG002, but sadly I can see there really isn't any fight left in you, so I'm going to end this now.

Gohan's eyes widened with terror as Freeza stood up straight and raised his arm over his head. His eyes darted around, the fear for his life sending adrenaline pumping through every fiber of his being. He knew he had to save his parents, and Vegeta, and Trunks… and Videl. His thoughts stayed on Videl. She had taken care of him, listened to him talk, worried about him… gone with him to Planet Anan and gotten hurt too many times because of him. He sure as hell wasn't going to let her die if he could stop it. This man had hurt his mother, his father, his baby brother….

Gohan looked up at Freeza, and glared, hate and anger giving him renewed vigor. He reached up and grabbed Freeza's hand and caught him by the wrist, shoving himself upwards against the tyrant. "No… I'm going to end it."

"Oh just roll over and die already. You can't kill me."

"I'm not going to."

"Oh, really? Going to let me live and regret what I've done?"

"No."

Freeza frowned, looking a bit perplexed and Gohan launched himself forwards, wrapping his arms around Freeza's neck, in some sort of twisted hug, and pinned him down under his mangled and beaten body. Freeza looked completely startled and moved to push him off. "What the… Get off me, you filthy monkey!" Gohan raised his hand and Freeza glared up at him. "Really? You can't hurt me, monkey, we've been over this!"

Gohan just smirked and raised his hand and pointed it at the generator, that stood ten feet away from them. Freeza slowly followed his hand and looked back at Gohan, narrowing his eyes. "You wouldn't."

"Watch me."

Freeza stood up, easily pushing Gohan, but Gohan grabbed onto him, pulling him back down. Freeza raised his hand and beat at Gohan as hard as he could. "Let go of me, you filthy monkey!"

Gohan clung onto him, and raised his hand again, aiming it at the generator. "Sorry, Videl… I lied." And he fired.


	22. Closure is Necessary for Peace

Vegeta and Goku both ran the rough the halls back towards the audience chamber where they had been a few hours before. Vegeta ran ahead, a clear purpose in his step, and Goku followed close behind, worry creasing his brow. He felt guilty that he hadn't immediately run to his son's rescue, but waiting for Vegeta to heal had seemed like the best course of action. The more muscle the better, after all, and had he gone in to help Gohan then Freeza would have just picked them apart one by one.

Still, he was a father, and the thought of losing his son was absolutely unbearable. He kept pace with Vegeta but was too lost in thought to realize that he had decided to come to a sudden stop. He roughly ran into Vegeta, and fumbled backwards, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "What was that for, Vegeta? We have to go!"

Vegeta turned even turn around to face him. "How long do you plan on following us, exactly?"

Goku blinked and turned around. He hadn't even noticed the flutter of Ki behind him, and felt himself smile a little at the sight of Videl, poking her head around the corner. "Videl… Go back and wait with everyone else."

"No." She planted her feet into the ground, firmly. "I'm just as worried about Gohan as you are. I want to go with you."

"You foolish girl, go and wait! You'll just be in our way!"

"No, I won't, I promise!" She walked up to them, holding her arms out in a pleading gesture to help make her case. "I'll stay back, and I'll leave as soon as I know he's okay. I'm worried about him, he's been down there for a long time."

"You won't be able to help him."

"You don't know that." Videl snapped, folding her arms angrily. "I need to see for myself that he's okay."

Goku smiled sympathetically. "She can come with us, Vegeta. She'll see Gohan and go right back."

"Fine." Vegeta snarled. "But if she gets in my way, I'll go through her. And don't cry to me if she doesn't like what she sees." He took off running again and Goku rubbed the back of his head as Videl turned to him, furrowing her brow.

"What did he mean by that?"

"Hm? Don't pay attention to what Vegeta says." He waved it off. "Now come on, don't you want to see Gohan?"

Videl smiled at him and nodded her head. Goku gave her the thumbs up and took off running again, to catch up with Vegeta. The three of them ran as fast as they could, though Videl was a little slower, and made their way back to the audience chamber. Vegeta slowed to a halt inside the ruined room, and looked up at the blackened door that the two children had blown down only seconds ago.

"Up there." He frowned. "I can feel Freeza's Ki."

"What about Gohan's Ki?"

Vegeta ignored her and ran forwards, Goku sprinted after him, but before they could reach the door an enormous tremor shook the earth. It jarred them, and caused Videl to lose her footing, but Goku and Vegeta quickly lifted themselves off the ground, and waited for it to pass. Goku swallowed hard and looked up at the metal door. "What… was that?"

He saw Vegeta's eyes widen, as a wave of heat radiated from the hall, and he turned around. "Get down!" He dropped to the ground, ducking for cover.

Goku dropped to do the same, grabbing up Videl and pulling her close to him, turning his back towards the door as a wave of fire erupted from it, blasting through the walls and floor alike, tearing up anything in it's path. He winced as pieces of debris struck his back, and the fire licked at his flesh, but he and Vegeta pressed themselves to the wall, using it as makeshift cover, as he pinned Videl to it using his body to shield her from the destruction.

The fiery explosion ended as quickly as it had begun but heavy tremors began to shake the building, knocking down ruined walls, and sending heavy pillars tumbling to the ground. Goku lifted his head and looked up at the sky that was no visible through the opened ceiling. He turned to Vegeta who was standing up and brushing himself off. "Vegeta! This whole thing is going to go! Make sure the others get out alright!"

Vegeta turned to him, and Goku was pleasantly surprised to see that he wasn't going to argue this time. He just nodded took to the air, blasting through another crumbling part of the roof. Goku looked down at Videl and held her away from him, looking her over. She was shaking, but that was to be expected at least.

"Are you alright, Videl?"

"Gohan…" Videl was apparently uninjured, as she reached towards the ruined and molten door that they had been heading towards only moments ago. "Gohan was in there!" Goku's eyes widened in horror and he looked back at the door, and Videl attempted to push away from him and run towards the door. He grabbed her and pulled her back.

"Videl, no!" He cried, pulling her back. "It's too unstable over there, you'll die!"

Videl pulled at his arm, trying to move towards the door as another tremor rocked through the room. Goku, grabbed her up in his arms, and launched himself up towards the sky. "This whole place is going to collapse!" He burst through the ceiling, and hovered above the dome as it slowly crumbled and collapsed around them. Videl clung to him as Goku looked over, surveying the planet. The ground was cracking and breaking and waves of heat were bursting forth, accompanied with tongues of lava. Goku slowly landed and set Videl down, as he looked around the rubble. "This whole place isn't going to go… the whole planet is!"

"The whole… planet…?" Videl spoke quietly and took a few trembling steps forwards. "But, Gohan… he can't be… he can't be dead. He promised to come back."

Goku looked down at her and then looked back up at the rubble. He tried with all his might to find Gohan's Ki. He searched and searched, but found nothing. Tears filled his eyes and he turned his head away, clenching his fists. Something had triggered that explosion and taken Gohan and Freeza out together. And he had a feeling he knew what had done it. "Gohan… you knew what you were doing, huh?"

Videl collapsed to her knees, holding her face. "He can't be gone!"

Goku reached down to put a hand on her shoulder. "Videl… we have to get off planet. Before it blows."

"What?" Videl stood up and turned on him. "What are you talking about! We have to find Gohan! He's your son, and you just want to leave him here?"

Goku's eyes darkened, and he took a step forward. "Gohan is my son. You're not the only one who loves him, so don't make that mistake. Gohan knew what he was doing, and he knew what he was doing when he came down here, and he would never forgive me if I let you die looking for him!" He grabbed her by the arm and pulled her closer to him. She gasped and pulled away, but Goku wrapped her into his arms, hugging her tightly. "I love him too, Videl.." Tears ran down his face. "He was my son, and I failed to protect him up to the very end." He looked down at her. "He didn't die so that you could go and get yourself killed too."

"He's really gone…" She whispered, staring up at him. "He's not coming back."

Goku put his hands on her shoulders and shook his head. "We have to go… we have to go back now. Before we get caught in the explosion."

Videl looked back at the rubble and her shoulders slumped in defeat. "Isn't there anything we can do?"

Goku put a hand on her shoulder, and shook his head. He looked down at her with a certain measure of pity, and frowned. "Look, Videl… We have maybe ten minutes before this place is blown to high heaven. Vegeta is getting the others… We can spare ten minutes to look for him."

Videl looked up at him sharply. "Really? You mean it?"

"Yeah, but no more than ten minutes, okay?"

"Okay." She nodded and turned towards the molten metal which oozed across the floor, and towards the rubble they believed Gohan to be buried under. Goku picked her up and carried her over the exceptionally dangerous and slightly lethal bits, and set her down among the dust and broken pieces of what looked like lab equipment.

"Alright, Videl. I'll look over there, and you can search through this. But at the end of ten minutes I'm going to come over and take you back to the others."

Videl looked up at him, and smiled from ear to ear. "Alright."

* * *

><p>Videl watched Goku walk past her towards another pile of rubble and she looked down at the dust that covered her feet. She honestly wasn't sure what she was hoping to find, but she had a feeling that no matter what happened, she was going to end up disappointed. Even if by some miracle, Gohan had survived, there was no way they'd find him. And if they did find him, there was no way he had survived. In her heart, she absolutely knew that he was dead. Still the rest of her refused to acknowledge it. She took a few steps forwards and looked down. In the back of her mind she was quietly considering just calling out to Goku to have her take her back where she could run up and hug Yamucha and cry her heart out. Still her mouth wouldn't cooperate and her legs continued to walk aimlessly through the rubble and broken facility.<p>

She sighed and looked up at the darkened sky as the earth rumbled beneath her. Every single shake prompted her to think that something horrible was about to happen, or that the planet would crumble away from underneath her. Still, she walked. She got further away from Goku and soon he was out of sight entirely. She looked up and noticed a scorched part of earth, surrounded by smashed pillars which leaked raw energy onto the ground. She wondered if that was what had caused the explosion that had taken Gohan away.

Videl looked down and shook her head. She knew this was pointless. She knew there was no hope of her finding her Saiyan, and tears slowly began to fall down her face and she reached up to hold it, whimpering and sniffing as her eyes turned red and puffy, and her nose ran freely. She was a mess and she knew it, and she felt far beyond any realm of comfort.

She had only known Gohan for four weeks. She had spent a month with him, training with him, talking with him, listening to him as he recounted the sheer gravity of how unfair his life had been. And he hadn't been bad looking, either. He was handsome, and strong, smart, and funny… He had really cared about all of them and had even tried to die for them in order to make up for any trouble he could have caused. And now he had gone and done it and Videl couldn't even hit him and tell him what an idiot he was.

She had really grown to love him, dearly. No matter what anyone else had thought of him, no matter what they called him, she knew he was a good man. He was her good man. And now he was gone.

Videl wiped her eyes on the back of her shirt and turned to walk away, to find Goku and ask her to bring her back to the others, when something to her left shifted and moved under the rubble. She turned towards it, and held her breath. She tried to tell herself it was nothing, and that it was just another tremor rumbling through the earth, but when the rubble trembled and she heard a low groan, she gasped, holding her hands over her mouth. "Gohan!"

She ran forwards, and dropped to her knees, scraping them up as she grabbed the hunk of rock and concrete and shoved it to the side. "Gohan…" she smiled through her tears and shoved more of the rocks aside, not caring if she burnt her hands on the hot metal. She shoved them aside, and fell forwards, brushing away more dust. Suddenly, a white-gloved hand shot up from the rubble before coming down and grabbing at the dirt, pulling upwards. Videl reached forwards and grabbed the hand and stood up, pulling upwards.

"Gohan I thought you were… dead…" Her words failed as the body attached to the arm followed after.

Pale white skin, and horns protruding from his head, Freeza looked up at Videl, a wicked smirk across his face. "Oh, so sorry…" He rasped. "Were you expecting the half breed brat?"

Videl dropped his arm and stumbled backwards, her hands over her mouth. The tyrant in front of her was a bloodied mess, and the sight of him was almost enough to make Videl physically ill. Freeza's flesh was burnt and cracked, and he practically ended at the torso. His legs and tail were barely attached, and the skin around his waist was blistered and burned. Puddles of blood and assorted bodily fluids poured from his wounds onto the dusty earth, and Freeza raised his head to her. Or most of it. An enormous gash lined his neck, and the left side of his head was all but missing. Videl took a step backwards again and felt her knees shake as a wave of nausea over took her.

"Yes, I've certainly had better days, haven't I?" He spoke in a voice that sounded like he was simultaneously choking and being given the Heimlich. The tyrant pulled himself up. "That foolish half breed… He tried so hard to incinerate me, and ended up turning to ash himself. Well most of him, anyhow. I'm sure you'll find some pieces if you look hard enough." Freeza keeled over and gagged, grotesquely. "And it was all for nothing…" He sneered to the floor. "I still live."

Videl stared down at him for a moment and curled her fists. "Not for long though. This planet is going to go any second now."

Freeza laughed and looked up at her. "Yes, but you're not going to leave me here."

Videl stiffened at his words. "What makes you think that?"

"If there is one thing I've learned from humans…" Freeza coughed and spat. "It's that they're sentimental creatures. Emotional…" He looked up at her, an evil glint in his one good eye. "They don't like to see things die."

Videl's lips turned into a snarl. "You think I'd save you?"

"It's how humans are…" He smirked. "It's simply in your nature." He adjusted himself on his forearm. "Besides… you have a very twisted sense of justice, don't you?" He looked her up and down. "Yes, you were the one with SG002. You want revenge, don't you? I know your type. You wouldn't be satisfied with simply letting me die here. No… you want more than that. You want 'justice'. You want answers." He held a hand out to her, his smirk widening, and Videl almost thought his mouth might split in two. "I can give you those answers."

Videl stared down at him as the world shook and ended around them. She knew her ten minutes were almost up, and yet should couldn't bring herself to move. She just sat and stared at the crippled man before her. She thought of the stories Gohan had told, she thought of the crying boys that had run into the healing room. She thought of the scars on Goku and Vegeta's bodies. She slowly reached out and grabbed Freeza's hand in her own. Freeza's laughed sounded like someone gargling a mouth full of marbles.

"I thought you would want them… human's are very curious creatures."

Videl tightened her grip on Freeza's hand and glared down at him, before raising her palm to be parallel with his face. Freeza stopped laughing and looked up to stare at her. Videl spoke in a cold voice. "The first thing you should know about me, is that I'm not like other humans."

Freeza glared at her, his mouth twisting down into a scowl. "An explosion capable of destroying this planet couldn't kill me. You think a little blast like that will?"

"No." Videl's eyes were dark and lacked any show of mercy. "I think it's just enough to bury you."

* * *

><p>Goku sighed and sifted through another pile of rubble. He knew there was no way they were going to find Gohan, but he remembered it wasn't about that. It was about closure. It was being able to say they did all they could. He shoved a rock away as a small fissure in the earth spat out a small blast of steam at him. He moved out of the way and shook his head.<p>

They were out of time, and he knew it. He sighed and looked over, feeling out for the faint flutter of Ki he could identify as Videl's. It had almost been ten minutes so it was just about time for them to head out. He slowly made his way back to where she was, preparing himself for her to start bargaining with him. Begging for more time. He wasn't sure how he was going to turn her down, but he knew he would have to if they were going to make it out of here on time. He headed towards her, and leapt over a pool of molten rock to reach her.

He looked up and was slightly surprised to see her sitting on a chunk of fallen ceiling, staring at the floor and kicking her legs back and forth. He frowned and walked over to her, coming up beside her. "Videl?"

Videl looked up at him, and smiled, wiping away at the tears that fell down her cheeks. "Are we going?" She asked quietly.

"Yeah…" Goku spoke softly, bending his knees a little and putting a hand on her shoulder. "We have to go now."

"Alright." She nodded, standing up.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah…" She rubbed at her eyes, which were red and puffy. "I think so."

Gohan frowned and pulled her into a hug, wrapping her arms around her tightly, and putting one hand on the back of her head. "I'm sorry I didn't save him."

He felt her tears begin to leak through his shirt, and she wrapped her arms around his middle, burying her face in his chest. "Yeah. Me too."


	23. The Sweetest Chords Are Put to Rest

Videl wrapped her arms around her legs and tucked her face deep into her knees. She hadn't bothered to come out of her room in what had felt like days, and felt a strange sort of relief when no one had bothered her. Part of her wanted Yamucha to come back and hug her and tell her everything was going to be okay, but the rest of her just wanted some time to mourn quietly.

They had been on the ship for a few months now, and things had sort of quieted down. Chi-Chi had been a wreck for the first three weeks, but slowly she had started to smile again, and get to know Goten. The two boys, Goten and Trunks had been as skittish as could be for the longest time, and had refused to stray far from their parents. However after a while of good food, proper sleep, and some good old fashioned tender love and care they were acting like typical ten year olds, running around the ship, exploring where they could and playing strange games. No one had had the heart to tell them that Gohan was dead.

Goten had asked about his older brother a few times, and Goku had just shaken his head and Chi-Chi had simply begun to cry. Goten eventually took it to mean that Gohan was simply lost again, and would catch up with them later, and no one had the heart to correct them. Everyone had expected Vegeta to be the first to explain Gohan's death, but he had been surprisingly quiet about it. He spent most of his time working out in the cargo bay, or with Bulma and Trunks. No one was sure what was going on in his head and no one except Bulma was willing to find out.

Videl had spent the majority of the trip keeping busy, to distract her from her grief. She played with the boys, or cleaned or worked where anyone had work. She often trained down in the cargo bay, but was sure to stay well out of Vegeta's way. The way he trained was on a completely different level than the way she and Gohan had, and she respected it. For now though, Videl felt like sitting in the quiet of her room and reflecting on him.

After a few minutes there was a knock at the door and Videl uncurled herself and walked over to open it. She pressed the button on the side and the door slid open, revealing Yamucha who was standing there with his fist raised to knock again. He lowered it and smiled at her fondly. "Sorry, Vi. Were you asleep?"

"No." She shook her head. "I was just laying awake. What's up?"

"Well, we're going to be coming up on Earth in a couple of hours."

"Really?" Videl's eyes widened in shock. "Wow, I thought for sure it would take longer." It had been years since she had been home, and the thought of going there brought a warm feeling to her heart. "Alright, I'll get ready."

Yamucha reached over and put a hand onto her face. "And you're really okay?"

Videl nodded. "Of course I'm okay. I mean, I'm still a little sad, but from what I understand, that's normal."

"Sure." Yamucha nodded. He reached over and hugged her, which Videl was happy to reciprocate.

Videl pulled away from him after a while and looked him over. "How are you doing? You know… with Bulma?"

Yamucha frowned. "Well… Okay, I think." He sighed and rubbed the back of his head. "Trunks is a great kid, and all but…"

"You don't like Vegeta."

"Do you?" Yamucha leaned forwards. "I mean, he's the type of Saiyans from those horror stories people used to tell. He's killed hundreds of people, and he doesn't respect her at all. He treats her like nothing, and he doesn't even care about Trunks!"

"That's not true, you saw how happy he was when he saw Trunks come back from Freeza. And he's really protective of Bulma."

"He's abusive."

Videl frowned and folded her arms in quiet contemplation. "Have you talked to Bulma about it?"

"No…"

"Then talk to Bulma about it."

Yamucha sighed and put a hand on her head and smiled at her. "Alright, alright, I will. Now get ready. We'll be landing soon."

"Right."

As Yamucha left the room, Videl closed the door and walked back over to her closet, and opened it, grabbing some more decent clothing and pulled them down over her head. She had to admit that the thought of going home after so long was extremely appealing. She left her room, and closed the door behind her, walking along the corridor and running her hand along the wall.

As she walked she looked up and noticed Vegeta walking towards her, a towel around his shoulders. She stopped and looked over at him. "More training?"

He only grunted in reply and kept walking past her. She turned and looked after him. She frowned and thought on what Yamucha had said, and swallowed, mustering up all her courage. "You know, we all love Bulma."

He turned around and stared at her, raising an eyebrow. "What?"

"Bulma. We all love her. Not just you."

Vegeta raised both eyebrows at her. "Wha-"

"So don't hurt her." She looked away from him. "Cause she loves you too."

Vegeta just stared at her for a few moments, and snorted. "You're a bit damaged in the head, aren't you girl?"

Videl just smiled a little bit. "Are you staying on Earth?"

Vegeta frowned at her, and turned away. "I'm not sure."

"Well, Bulma is going to want to stay for at least a while, and she's probably not going to let go of Trunks. So you should consider it."

Vegeta snorted and folded his arms, but Videl could tell that he meant it as a 'we'll see'. She smiled and turned around to keep walking. As mean as Vegeta could be, it was still quite obvious that he did love Bulma, and he did care about his son. She could understand Yamucha's dislike for him, but she also knew she didn't have the whole story. From what Goku had told her, Vegeta had been with Freeza since he had been Trunks' age, and that had surely changed him. Still, Bulma clearly saw something in him, or else she wouldn't put up with him.

She made her way towards the cockpit, where Kuririn was sitting with 18 at the pilot's chair. He looked over at her and then back at the window. "Isn't that a pretty sight?"

Videl followed his gaze and the view that greeted her was enough to bring tears to her eyes. There was her big blue planet, sitting right outside her window. It had been so long, she had almost lost her taste for home. But seeing it again brought back all sorts of feelings. She walked over to the window and smiled. "How much longer?" She asked, looking back at Kuririn.

"An hour or two." He smiled, taking 18's hand and holding it.

She grinned at the thought and sat on another chair, and spun it around. It had been a while since she had been this happy, and it was a nice difference. She was perfectly content to just sit there and spin when she heard Goku's loud voice drift in from the hall.

"Hey! Stop running you two!"

Goten and Trunks both burst into the room, smiling and laughing and shoving past each other. Videl snickered as Goten ran up to the window, and jumped up, grabbing onto the ledge and hauling himself up to look out. Trunks did the same, propping himself up. Goten looked back as Goku, Chi-Chi and Bulma all walked into the room. Goten looked back and pointed out at the planet coming up on them.

"Is that it, mom?"

Chi-Chi smiled and walked over putting a hand on her son's head. "Yes, that's home."

"Looks small." Trunks tilted his head.

Goku walked over and put his hands on his hips. "Everything looks smaller from far away." He smirked down at the boys. "But it's a lot bigger than you'd think."

Videl stood up and picked Goten up, holding him up higher so that he could see out the window properly. She smiled and rested her chin on his mess of hair, and he poked the glass, drawing patterns into the frost.

"Will Gohan meet us there?" Goten asked quietly, tracing his finger along the glass.

Videl's throat constricted and she felt tears spring to her eyes as she looked back at Bulma and Chi-Chi. Bulma had picked Trunks up, and was holding him tightly, and Chi-Chi had reclaimed a spot at Goku's side. Goku sighed and looked down.

"I don't think so, Goten."

"Why not?"

Goku shook his head, and Goten frowned and looked back outside, without another word. Deep down, Videl had a feeling that Goten knew that his brother was dead. And she had a feeling that Trunks knew it too. The two boys were more familiar with death than any other children their age, and she could see in their eyes that they knew. But like children, to them, it wasn't real until it was spoken out loud. Someday they would be able to come to terms with it, but for now, it was alright to let them be children.

Kuririn stood up and repositioned himself at the pilot seat. "Alright, I'm going to start bringing us in for a landing. Every body get ready, and please vacate the bridge so that I can concentrate."

Videl set Goten down, who reached up and grabbed her hand, to walk with her as they all left the bridge. Videl looked up at Goku, who smiled down at her, and walked ahead. Bulma matched pace with her quickly and looked over. "What are you going to do, Videl?"

"I don't know." She shook her head and looked down at Goten. "I want to stay on Earth for a while, but Yamucha, Tienshinhan, and Kuririn… they're my family. I want to stay with them too."

"I understand that." Bulma nodded. "It was hard, after I left with Chi-Chi. I had figured that I would be coming back, sooner than I had. It was pretty naïve of me, but… I'm sort of glad I left." She bounced Trunks on her hip, and he laid his head on her shoulder.

Videl smiled. "Well if you hadn't, I might not have ever met Gohan."

"Well then, you're welcome."

"Thank you."

They both laughed and made their way towards the cargo bay, where everyone else was standing around, waiting for the ship to land. Bulma walked over to Vegeta who was sitting on a piece of training equipment and sat next to him, quietly bouncing Trunks on her knee. She could hear them start to argue about her carrying Trunks, and how Vegeta didn't like it, and she walked over to Chi-Chi and Goku, still leading Goten by the hand. Chi-Chi picked him up away from her, and Videl looked over at Yamucha who was sitting off by himself. She walked over to him and sat next to him, leaning her head on his shoulder. He silently wrapped his arm around her and held her, like a big brother would, and she closed her eyes in quiet gratitude.

After a while the ship came to a lurching halt, as it usually did after entering the atmosphere and touching down on solid land, and Videl's breath caught in her throat. She could hardly believe how anxious she was. It had been so long since she had been to earth she was almost expecting it to look completely alien to her.

However, as soon as the door opened, Videl nearly went to pieces. There was a rush of air that greeted her and she stumbled out of the ship, and bent down, prying her shoes off her feet, to let her toes feel the soft grass tickle the soles of her feet. She smiled and leaned upwards, letting the sun hit her face comforting her in a way only the light of home could. She was so relieved, she could hardly contain it.

"Whoa! Trunks! Look! This floor grows hair!" Goten got down on his hands and knees and patted the grass. Videl looked over and slowly realized the two children had never even been outside before.

"It's really soft too." Trunks jumped up and down. He then looked up and shaded his eyes against the light of the sun. "It's really bright out here…"

Vegeta walked up beside his son and put a hand on his head. "Well, this is how it's supposed to be. Life isn't all concrete walls and shackles."

Trunks looked up at his father, beaming at his words, and Goten had meanwhile discovered his first tree, which he was attempting to scale. Chi-Chi had followed him to help and explain what it was he was climbing, and Trunks looked over at his best friend. "Can I go play too, dad?"

Before Vegeta could even open his mouth, Bulma was beside him, taking his arm in hers. "Yes, Trunks, go play with Goten."

Trunks couldn't be happier as he ran off to meet Goten at the tree, and Videl smiled as they continued to play. She looked over at Goku who was looking around, clearly taking in the sights and just plain enjoying himself. She walked over to him and looked off in the same direction he was gazing into. "Home again, home again, huh?" She looked up at him, smiling a little.

He managed to smile back, and nodded. "Yeah, I guess so."

"… It's sad he couldn't come back with us."

"It is." Goku sighed and lowered his head.

Videl looked up and folded her arms behind her back. "Wherever he is… I hope he's happy."

Goku smiled a little bit and looked up holding a hand over his own eyes. "Well, I'm sure he's in heaven. He couldn't be anywhere else. Not my Gohan." He smirked. "As for happy… he might be, but I know one person who won't be."

"Who?"

Goku smirked and turned to her and tapped the side of his cheek. Videl frowned, and furrowed her brow. She knew no one was happy about Gohan dying, but he had said one person. It wasn't until a fist connected with Goku's cheek and sent him crashing into the dirt that Videl was able to piece it together. She screamed at the sudden appearance of another man, and jumped back, before turning to see just who had punched Goku. She gasped and backed up at the towering man before her. He was green, that was the first thing she noticed about him. The second was his pointed ears, and turban that he wore along with a long flowing cloak. Goku sat up in the dirt, rubbing his cheek.

"Ow… Piccolo, come on, that was uncalled for."

"… He's dead, isn't he?" The strange man folded his arms.

Goku looked up at the man and sat forward folding his arms. He nodded solemnly. "He died defeating Freeza."

"Piccolo! Stop hitting my husband!" Chi-Chi stormed over, kneeling next to Goku. "Honestly, I had hoped you would learn SOME manners!"

Videl looked the odd man up and down and looked to Goku. "Who is he?" She had clearly voiced the question of everyone who had gathered around to stare.

Goku stood up, and rubbed his cheek. "This is Piccolo. We used to be enemies, but that was a long time ago. He's not bad now. He helped train Gohan when he was little."

"Oh…" Videl straightened with realization. "You're the one who threw him at a mountain?"

Piccolo turned to look at her, and she instantly felt smaller. "He told you about me."

"More about how you trained him, really." Videl said, averting her eyes.

"I see." He folded his arms. "I had hoped I had done enough to help free him, but apparently in the end I wasn't able to save him."

"Free him?" Chi-Chi blinked, standing up. "What do you mean?"

Piccolo's eyes landed on Chi-Chi. "Did you think the fact that his prison transport crashed was an accident? A stroke of luck?"

"You did that?" Goku blinked. "Wow, thanks Piccolo…"

"Wait, if you helped him escape, then why didn't you come find him afterwards?" Videl questioned, putting her hands onto her hips.

"I tried." He explained. "Unfortunately, I had the rest of Freeza's army to deal with."

"It seems like we owe you a lot, then." Goku smiled at him, and lowered his head. "I'm… sorry that I didn't save Gohan. I know that you cared for him too."

"Well, no matter."

"No matter?" Goku looked up and his eyes darkened. "Is that all you have to say? My son is dead, and it's 'no matter'?"

"Exactly. I had a feeling you'd suffer a few casualties, and I'm honestly alarmed you didn't lose more." Piccolo turned around, and started to walk away, but Goku caught his shoulder.

"My son's death is not a casualty!" He pulled him back, violently, and Piccolo turned around, smacking his hand away.

"You misunderstand my intentions." He said, darkly. "You were right when you said I cared for Gohan too, and that is precisely why I plan on bringing him back."

"Bringing him…" Goku stammered. "He's dead, Piccolo!"

"A condition I intend to remedy." He said, looking back towards the ship. "Does this thing have a shuttle?"

"Yes…" Tienshinhan folded his arms. "But…"

"Well, if I'm going to bring him back I'm going to have to go and get him first. Lend me one." He didn't so much ask, as he did order.

Goku leaned forwards, reaching forwards to him. "Piccolo, what do you plan on doing?"

Kuririn nodded to Piccolo as Tienshinhan instructed him to show him back to the shuttles, and walked inside the ship. Piccolo turned to Goku and folded his arms. "I've taken care of your son whenever you couldn't. This time is no exception. I'm going to bring him back here. Alive. With the help of a gift from Kami."

Goku frowned, and took a few steps back. He was silent for a few moments before he nodded. "Okay. We'll wait here for you then."

Videl watched as the strange green man disappeared into the ship, and looked back at Goku. "Can he do that? Can he really bring Gohan back?"

"I don't know. But… I sure hope so."

And with that, a shuttle took off from the ship's side, and he was gone.

* * *

><p>About a year and a half had passed since the day Piccolo had left to go and find Gohan. After a while Videl had started to assume that he just wasn't coming back, or something had gone wrong, or he had been crazy and looking for an excuse to steal their shuttle. Either way, things had quieted down. Earth was still used a hub for alien races, and the loss of Freeza's empire seemed to help business more than hurt. Videl had settled in with Yamucha and 17, the latter of whom had been kicked out by his sister who had decided she wanted a family of her own, and that her brother needed to go out and make his way in the world. This of course meant he spent most of his time on the couch, moping.<p>

18 had started this family of hers, with a beautiful baby girl named Marron, who was now about five months old. Tienshinhan had gone back to the mountains in what Yamucha called an 'enigmatic crisis', which he described as the need to look cool. Of course Videl knew it was another one of his efforts to become stronger, and come up with new techniques. She hadn't been entirely slack with her own training, but she wasn't quite up to par with him just yet.

Bulma had managed to convince Vegeta to stay on Earth with her, for a while at least, and had even gotten married to him. It hadn't been a big ceremony, and Trunks and Goten had hardly been able to sit still through it, and even Vegeta had seemed a bit squirmy throughout the whole thing. Still, at the end of it all, they were married, and both seemed pleased by it. There hadn't been much to say afterwards, but Goku had quietly confided that he was glad that even the battle hungry Vegeta could find some happiness in peace. And Vegeta did seem happy, though Bulma and Trunks were clearly quite happier. It had been very tough for Trunks and Goten to fit into the normal life, and even harder for Vegeta, and even Goku had some trouble according to Chi-Chi. But after a long time of peace and quiet and long restless nights, things had started to go much smoother.

Goku and Chi-Chi had apparently moved back into their old house, where they had lived before Goku and Gohan had been captured. It was nestled at the base of a mountain with quite a bit of open space, that Goten couldn't seem to get enough of. Trunks was often found there with him, as the city where he lived with his own parents, often left him panicked and frightened. Not being used to being around so many people. Still, they were adjusting nicely, and it was good to see everyone feeling so much better.

Videl had settled into her own niche as well. She had started attending school again, and the rest of her time was dedicated to training, or spending time with family and friends. At the moment however, in the height of spring, she had decided to go outside and weed what remained of the garden that someone- she wasn't quite sure who- had decided to plant a long time ago. Something about getting down and working in the dirt, made her feel anchored and good about herself. There was something incredibly peaceful about it, and it was one feminine cliché that she allowed herself. She reached up and wiped her brow as she stood up to admire her handy work. There was a pile of leaves that extended to her calves next to her and only the pretty patches of flowers remained. She put her hands on her hips and smiled, breathing out a sigh of relief at a job well done.

"You know…"

Her breath caught her throat as a voice came in from behind her.

"Some of these weren't weeds. Like this one, see? It's actually a type of agave. Good for burns."

Videl slowly forced herself to turn around. There, standing in front of her, holding the stem of a freshly pulled plant, was a tall black haired boy with black eyes, and a long brown monkey's tail swishing back and forth behind him. Videl felt tears spring to her eyes and she slowly covered her mouth, breathing heavily.

"Go… Gohan?"

Gohan looked up at her and smiled, holding up the plant. "You didn't damage the roots, so if you want we can sort through it and plant the ones that aren't weeds."

Videl let a laugh that was choked with sobs escape her throat and she nearly fell forwards. "What are you talking about?" She hiccupped, as tears blurred her vision, which only served to convince her further that what she was seeing wasn't real.

Gohan took a few steps towards her and reached out, putting one hand on the side her cheek and wiped her tears. "Don't cry, Videl." He smiled, tilting his head a little to look at her better. "I'm sorry it took so long." He laughed a little. "It was a long trip."

Videl completely lost it then and there. She grabbed onto him and pulled him into a hug. Gohan returned it in full, holding one hand to her head, and putting his cheek on her forehead. "I'm sorry, Videl. I know I broke my promise."

"You're damn right you did." Videl could hardly speak through her sobs, but she managed all the same. "I can't believe you made me wait so long."

She didn't know how he was back, and she didn't care. All that mattered was that here he was, right in front of her, holding on to as tightly as he could. She grabbed onto the fabric of his shirt, and buried her face into his chest. "Don't go again."

"I won't." She could feel him smiling into her forehead. "I mean… apart from going to tell my mom and dad that I'm alive again."

Videl looked up at him. "You came to see me first?"

"I know, right?" Gohan laughed. "I guess that makes you more than a little special, huh?"

Videl smiled and hugged him again. "I can't believe you're back."

"I wasn't expecting it either, but here I am. And trust me, I don't plan on going anywhere, anytime soon. Get this, dying hurts. Who knew?"

Videl smacked his lapel, without looking up, laughing a little. "Take this seriously, I'm trying to have a moment here."

Gohan smiled at her and leaned in and hugged her tightly. "I guess I should just shut up and hug you, huh?"

"That's exactly what you should do."

"Okay." Gohan smiled and closed his eyes, wrapping her up into his arms, and held her tightly. He didn't pull away, he didn't try to look at her, and he didn't speak. And that was all that she needed.

* * *

><p><strong>Okay, this was supposed to be up, like... a week ago. But sadly, life decided to punch me in the face while shouting: "NO". I was away from a computer for a while, and was unable to edit and put this up in anything that resembled a timely fashion. Well... Here is it, anyways. <strong>


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